As you are likely aware, VDH recently received funding through the American Rescue Plan Act to assist homeowners at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines with septic and well repairs; VDH’s Septic and Well Assistance Program (SWAP). You can find the application and information about eligible projects on the SWAP website at https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-health/swap/.
We appreciate your patience as we finalize development of this program, as we understand there are owners in immediate need of assistance. We plan to have Request for Applications (RFA’s) in the very near future for local partners, onsite sewage professionals, and private well professionals to implement SWAP. However, understanding the immediate need for assistance, we are seeking your help to put in place an interim program until the RFA’s can be posted and contracts with program partners awarded.
For the interim program, VDH can assist homeowners that either 1) already have a septic or well repair permit issued, or 2) that can receive a permit design from VDH via the Hardship Guidelines. Once the owner is deemed eligible for the grant and a permit has been issued, VDH will post the permit using a Quick Quote process for installers or well drillers to provide bids. This is where we need your help. In order to receive notifications on Quick Quotes and to submit a bid, you will need to be in the state’s eVA system. We would like to encourage any septic installers or well drillers interested in having the opportunity to bid on these repairs and help VDH with the SWAP program to sign up in eVA.
Attached is the new vendor registration guide that can be found in eVA and at the link below. This guide is a step by step process for you to be registered in eVA.
https://www.eva.virginia.gov/register-now.html
The final program will include design cost via the RFAs, and again we hope to move those forward very soon and will provide additional outreach once those become available. In the interim, we really need your help with several dozen homeowners across the state that have already contacted us because they are out of water or have a major system malfunction with a permit in hand. We greatly appreciate your assistance sharing this information with the members of your respective organizations that may be interested in signing up in eVA. If you have any questions or issues signing up, you can speak with Angelica Cipara, Business Manager with VDH’s Shared Business Services. Mrs. Cipara can be reached at Angelica.Cipara@vdh.virginia.gov. I have also attached the general outline for the process for these immediate need grants.
Sincerely,
Lance Gregory
Director
Division of Onsite Sewage and Water Services,
Environmental Engineering, and Marina Programs
Virginia Department of Health
(804) 864-7491
Click the button below to download a PDF step-by-step guide to register for Virginia’s Procurement Program