Bedford board OKs mandatory sewage pump-out at lake homes [Video]

BEDFORD — Bedford County residents and property owners with homes within 500 feet of Smith Mountain Lake and Leesville Lake soon will be required to have their private sewage disposal system pumped out at least once every five years.

The Bedford County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Monday to approve the measure following extensive review and discussion. The new ordinance will help ensure sewage disposal systems near the two lakes do not fail and affect water quality, according to county officials.

“We would not start doing this until 2025,” said Jordan Mitchell, the county’s director of community development. “We would start our notification process in December, sending out the first letters and would give everyone that first calendar year to get that process completed.”

Property owners will need to register with the county’s department of community development and pay a $20 processing fee, Mitchell has said. Failure to comply with …