A Virginia law requiring mandatory maintenance for all alternative onsite systems goes into effect July 1, 2009. According to K.R. “Trapper” Davis of Coastal Plains Environmental Group in New Kent, alternative technologies include aerobic treatment units, peat biofilters, and soil-based systems such as drip dispersal, low-pressure pipe or mounds used with septic tank effluent. On that date, certified maintenance operators, installers, soil evaluators, and designers must be licensed by passing a test and showing experience. Licensed evaluators and designers may design systems of up to 1,000 gpd for single-family homes. Any-thing beyond that requires an engineer stamp. The Department of
