Group of six men with shovels at ceremonial groundbreaking.
Washington County officials gathered Tuesday for a groundbreaking on the Lee Highway sewer expansion project. Courtesy of Washington County Service Authority.

A $33 million project that will bring sewer service to residents and businesses currently on septic tank systems is underway in Washington County.

The expansion will serve residents and businesses between Interstate 81’s Exit 13 and Bristol, Ron Seay, acting general manager of the Washington County Service Authority, said in a news release.

A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday, but work on the first phase began in November and is expected to be completed by February 2025, the release states.

The project will be paid for by the U.S Department of Agriculture Rural Development, the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, Washington County and the service authority. Grant funding for the project totals nearly $21 million, according to the release.

The expansion will provide public sewer to approximately 140 residential and commercial customers that are currently on septic systems, Seay said in the release. 

It will provide the initial backbone infrastructure for future sewer connections for more than 800 additional users, including many who have expressed interest in sewer service due to failing septic systems, he said.

The first phase includes the installation of four sewer pumping stations, approximately 41,220 linear feet of sewer force main line, 32,221 linear feet of gravity sewer line and 150 sewer manholes. 

The service authority serves about 22,260 water connections and 2,500 wastewater connections in Washington County and surrounding areas.

Susan Cameron is a reporter for Cardinal News. She has been a newspaper journalist in Southwest Virginia...