SANITARY DISTRICT PETITION PROCESS

FAIRFAX COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS

AND ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

The following information is for Fairfax County residents interested in obtaining trash and recycling service from Fairfax
County by petitioning for service. The petition process is a legal proceeding to create Sanitary Districts where trash and
recyclables collection service can be provided by the County.

Fairfax County has been providing trash collection to certain sanitary districts in the county since 1955. The annual cost
of Fairfax County for trash/recycling collection service currently is $385 for the county’s 2020 fiscal year starting in July
2019. The annual fee covers personnel, capital equipment and other associated costs. Fairfax County currently provides
municipal trash and recyclables collection service for approximately 43,000 homes or 15% of the residential dwelling units
in the County. These homes are located within areas which the Virginia State Code refers to as small or local sanitary
districts. A small or local sanitary district is defined as an area that is located within identifiable boundaries in which
services are provided by the local jurisdiction, i.e., sewer, water and wastewater and trash/recycling collection, etc. Each
resident pays a portion of the cost of the services and this charge is included as a separate item on each homeowner’s
real estate tax bill.

Homeowners who wish to receive Fairfax County trash and recyclables collection service must petition the Board of
Supervisors to be included within a sanitary district. Creation of a small or local sanitary district is possible only when a
request is made by a residential property owner and supported by greater than 55% of the residents within each area of
50 homes or more. The proposed boundary of the sanitary district will be determined by the Solid Waste Management
Program upon initiation of the petition process.

COLLECTION POLICY IN CONSTRICTED AREAS OR PIPESTEMS

Residents whose homes are located on “pipestem” driveways are required to bring trash and recyclables out to the
entrance of the “pipestem” where it meets the state maintained right-of-way. Fairfax County does not collect on
“pipestems” because of the risk of personal injury or property damage resulting from oversized vehicles moving on narrow
streets. This policy is in Section 109.1-5-5(e) of the Code of the County of Fairfax. Homes located on pipestems can be
included in the sanitary districts but residents must place containers at the entrance of the pipestem for collection.

Collection customers in subdivisions with private roads are required to maintain a hard-packed surface free of potholes,
ruts or obstructions with a minimum 12-foot width of passage, not obstructed by parked cars, and cleared of overhead
vegetation to 13 feet above the roadway. This allows for the safe movement of large collection equipment.

CREATION/ENLARGEMENT OF SMALL OR LOCAL SANITARY DISTRICT

Creation of a small or local Sanitary District is possible only when a request is made by a resident and supported by
greater than 55% of the residents within each area of 50 homes or more.

If a resident living next to an existing Sanitary District wishes to be included in the Sanitary District, the boundary may be
changed by obtaining signatures from all residents (legal home owners, not renters) that would be affected by the change.
The proposed boundary will be determined by the county.

INITIATION OF A PETITION

The petition coordinator (the person who will be responsible for obtaining signatures and submitting forms) is responsible
for contacting the owner of each dwelling unit in the proposed area and obtaining their signature on the Petition Survey
Forms provided by the county before the appropriate deadline. (See timetable below). Only the signature of the legal
homeowner is acceptable on the petition. One signature per residence will be counted.

Renters do not have the authority to sign petitions since they are not responsible for the real estate taxes on which the
service fee is placed; therefore, renters’ signatures will be deemed invalid.

Rev 07-2019
 By signing the petition, the legal homeowner acknowledges that he/she has read and is familiar with the
Recycling and Trash Collection Guidelines for Sanitary Districts.

The county usually recommends disapproval of all requests for withdrawal from Sanitary Districts except in the case of
unusually severe circumstances. If this situation arises, please contact the Division of Solid Waste Collection and
Recycling for information on terminating service.

TIMETABLE

Services begin either on January 1 or July 1 of any given year on all petition requests. In order for the
administrative preparation of the petitions to be completed, the following timetable applies:

Petition Due June 30/January 30

Public Hearing October/May
Services(s) Begin January 1/July 1

APPROVAL PROCESS

Once the signed petitions are received by the county, signatures are verified and the petition package is
prepared and compiled for submission to the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. The Board of
Supervisors authorizes the advertisement of a public hearing to be held in the Board Auditorium of the
Government Center Building. The date and time of the public hearing is advertised to the public for two consecutive
weeks, then the hearing is held and it is at this time that all support or opposition to the petition should be expressed by
concerned property owners. Once the proposed area is approved as a small or local Sanitary District by the Fairfax
County Board of Supervisors, residents will be notified by mail, assigned a trash/recycling collection day, and service will
begin according to the above timetable.

Attachment - Recycling and Trash Collection

If this office can provide you with any additional
information on County trash/recycling and/or leaf
collection service, please contact the Sanitary
District Administrator, Solid Waste Management
Program at 703-324-5697 or via email at
Lainie.Shifflett@fairfaxcounty.gov. Also visit our
website at
www.fairfaxcounty.gov/dpwes/trash/coll_main.htm.
Guidelines for Sanitary Districts. This information is
to be provided to all residents signing the petition. By signing the
petition, residents are verifying that they have read and are familiar
with the Recycling and Trash Collection Guidelines for Sanitary
Districts.

Rev 07-2019