There is no doubt that the "land rush" in western Loudoun County is now in full swing. As illustrated in the accompanying chart, prior to March, 2005 (when the Virginia Supreme Court reinstated 3-acre zoning), Loudoun County was approving about 11 lots per month that needed septic systems. As of December, 2006, lot approvals requiring on-site waste disposal have increased to 350 per month! That is a geometric progression with no end in sight.

Unfortunately, recent work by the Unison Preservation Society has uncovered a dark side to this land rush not previously considered: a growing risk to public health. Of the 350 lots per month approved by the Public Health Department, over half are being approved for so called "alternative septic systems." Problem is, they have a very high failure rate.

When developers discovered that they were running out of building sites that could perc, they went to Richmond and got the State Department of Health to approve new, high-tech wastewater disposal systems that could be used on poor soil that didn't perc well. The technology, when run by licensed engineers, works great. The problem is that most homeowners aren't engineers and they don't like spending a lot of time worrying about miniature treatment plants in their back yard.

As a result, these systems fail. West Virginia University and the West Virginia Bureau of Public Health made site visits to inspect 419 alternative septic systems that had been in use for more than a year. They discovered a failure rate of 92%. In 81% of the failures, fecal coliform being released from these systems exceeded West Virginia Public Health standards.

Old-fashioned septic tanks work pretty well. They have a 100-year track record. They have no moving parts and require no electricity to operate. They are low cost and virtually maintenance free. A pump-out every three or four years is about it.

High tech "alternative systems" require a more sophisticated tank, electricity to run motors and pumps, more frequent pump-out, and, in many cases, very "fussy" wastewater distribution in either drip systems or mounds. They come with a control panel and an alarm system to call for maintenance when they breakdown. Too much water usage by the household or a flush of strong chemicals can kill the treatment system altogether.

In July, 2005, the Washington Post sounded the alarm in Loudoun County when they reported a series of failing alternative septic systems in Beacon Hill subdivision and elsewhere throughout the county. Since then, failures continue to be reported to the Loudoun County Public Health office.

The citizens of Unison are concerned because the development proposed at Bloomfield Heights, just outside of the Village, is seeking approval for 22 of the 28 proposed lots to have alternative septic systems.

Failed systems putting only partially treated sewage onto open ground is an invitation to spread water-borne illnesses—both to the property owner and to nearby neighbors. And, by the way, who bears responsibility for the failed systems? Is it only the homeowner? Isn't it also the system designer and installer? What about the developer? And, most importantly, what about the County that approved the system in the first place? This could be a huge unfunded liability for Loudoun County for decades to come.

On February 14, six members of the Unison Preservation Society petitioned the Board of Supervisors to consider adopting an emergency ordinance to restrict any further use of alternative septic systems in Loudoun County except to replace failed conventional systems and with approval of the Board of Supervisors. The matter has been referred to the Board's Public Safety Committee of the Board for further review and action.