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vided by the pumpout interval.
The planning district staff, using information from the 1980 Census of General Housing Characteristics and data on building permits issued between 1980 and 1985, determined that Rappahannock has 2,267 septic tanks.
“A pumpout interval of three to five years is realistic in areas where homeowners are moderately conscientious about septic tank cleaning,” the assessment notes. According to Mr. Sawyer, the average septic tank volume is 750 gallons.
Using Mr. Sawyer’s formula, a three-year pumpout interval will produce 4,250,625 pounds of wet septage or 850,125 pounds of dry. Assuming an application rate of once every five years and a rate of five dry tons per acre, 425 acres would be needed to spread all of the septage produced in Rappahannock County over a five-year period, according to the assessment. For a four-year septic tank pumpout interval, 318 acres would be needed and for a five-year interval, 255 acres.
Sludge application would require much less land.
According to engineer Hank Gerhart and the Virginia Department of Health, Sperryville’s sewage treatment plant will produce about 46.34
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96.2%