Health Department Fees
MEMORANDUM
DATE: June 6, 2008
TO: District Health Directors
Environmental Health Managers
Office of Environmental Health Services Staff
FROM: Jeffrey L. Lake, M.S.
Deputy Commissioner for Community Health Services
SUBJECT:Sewage and Well Application Fees
The 2008 Appropriation Act provides the authority for the Commissioner of Health to increase fees for sewage and well applications. This memorandum communicates the schedule of fees that will become effective July 1, 2008, establishes procedures concerning when to apply the fees to well and septic applications, cross walks the revenue collected to the appropriate revenue source code, and provides talking points to help with communicate with concerned citizens.
The new fees are intended to more closely reflect the agency’s cost of providing services and are a significant increase over the current application fees. It is to be expected that the new fees will elicit complaints from some applicants. Further, applicants are likely to expect improved customer service and quicker response time to applications, given the significant cost of the application.
Districts should take steps to alert the public to the fee increases by prominently posting the new fee schedule (sample attached) and the effective date upon receipt of this memorandum. Environmental Health Managers may wish to make additional efforts to notify stakeholders (e.g., builders, AOSEs, realtors) of the increase prior to July 1. Districts are expected to make every effort to meet the expectation of applicants for high quality and quick service by continuing to implement the procedures included in the Onsite Quality Assurance Program and to monitor the effectiveness those procedures.
The table below provides the new state fee schedule for sewage and well applications. The decision tree attached to this memorandum provides an additional tool for determining the appropriate fee for a particular application. Note the following important points:
1.No well application fee will be charged for certification letters, regardless of whether the property will be served by a private well.
2.Certification letters will continue to be converted to construction permits with no additional fee for the sewage disposal system, if the conversion is made within 18 months of issuance of the letter. However, if the property is to be served by a private well, the well application fee will be charged when the letter is converted.
3.Both the sewage fee and the well fee are to be charged for construction permit applications when the property will be served by a private well. This policy also applies when converting a certification letter to a construction permit when more than 18 months have elapsed since the letter was issued.
4.The fees will continue to be waived for sewage disposal system repair applications, replacement well applications, and for applicants whose household income is at or below the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines.
Schedule of VDH Sewage and Private Well Application Fees1
Effective July 1, 2008
Bare application - Onsite Sewage Construction Permit 355.00
Bare application Certification Letter (Onsite Sewage) 300.00
AOSE Construction Permit or Certification Letter,System < 1,000 gpd 200.00
Construction Permit or Certification Letter,System >1,000 gpd 1,075.00
Private Well Construction Permit 205.00
Bare Application Onsite Sewage & Private Well Construction Permit 560.00
AOSE Construction Permit & Well, System <1,000 gpd 405.00
Construction Permit, System> 1,000 gpd & Well 1,280.00
1The sewage application fees apply to both onsite sewage disposal systems and single family discharge systems of less than or equal to 1, 000 gallons per day
The Phone Number for the Health Department is 276-730-3180