FAQs • York County, VA • CivicEngage

There is water backing up into my shower/toilets/sinks. Is there a sewer backup issue?

If you are experiencing a sanitary sewer system backup, please call Department of Public Works at 757-890-3773 immediately so we can verify if the backup is occurring at the main water/sewer line or at the house water/sewer line. Please be prepared to provide the following information:

1. Contact Information

Name
Address
Phone Number

2. What items are currently experiencing a backup in your home

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Public Works

Show All Answers

1. I just moved to York County. How do I start trash collection service or other York County Services?: New residents can follow the New Resident Checklist for all York County services that need to be started and/or connected. Trash/Recycling can be initiated by calling 757-890-3780.

2. How do I schedule a bulk trash collection?: Bulk Collections can be requested through the Customer Service Request Portal or by calling the Waste Management Center at 890-3780. Some limits may apply.

3. What are the hours of operations for Waste Management?

Waste Management Office
Administrative Hours
Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Facility Hours:
Recycling Center, Transfer Station, Citizen Garbage Drop-off
Monday - Saturday 7 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Compost Facility
Monday - Saturday
8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

4. Why didn't my trash get collected?

There are a variety of reasons that could be the cause of non-collection. Here are the most common:

Too close to another item for automated truck to collect (must be three feet away from any other item)
Must be out by 7 a.m. on your collection day (late set out)
Overloaded (more than 260 pounds in weight)
Overstuffed (lid not closed and trash would spill when lifted)
Opening of the trash container not facing the street
Have more containers than you are paying for (other containers not collected)
See tag left on container for other reasons

For additional information call Waste Management at 757-890-3780, or to report a miss please enter a service request in the Customer Service Request Portal.

5. My trash container is missing or damaged. What should I do?: There could be many reasons why. The best way to let us know is to call Waste Management Office at 757-890-3780.

6. How do I dispose of my trash when not collected?: You may bring your trash to the Transfer Station at the Waste Management Center located at 145 Goodwin Neck Road during operating hours at no charge, provided you are on the York County trash service.

7. How does my trash get collected on a holiday?

Our trash contractor observes at least the following holidays: New Year's Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. Collections that fall on these holidays will be delayed by one day and each collection day that follows the holiday will be delayed by one day (for example, if the holiday is on a Tuesday, Tuesday's collections will be on Wednesday, Wednesday's will be on Thursday, etc.). All other holidays will have regular collection.

Curbside Recycling Collection Calendar (PDF)

8. May I put yard debris in my trash container?

You may put bagged leaves or grass clippings in your container for pickup. Please make sure that you do not overload your container when doing so as the truck cannot lift the container if it weighs more than 260 pounds or if the lid is not closed on the container.

Visit the Yard Debris Collection page for more information.

9. Can I put my tires out at the curb for pickup?: Tires cannot be picked up at the curb. You may bring tires to the Waste Management Center for disposal, up to five per day and there is a fee involved depending on tire size.

10. If I am a contractor bringing waste or yard debris from my residence, do I have to pay?: No, but you have to call one week in advance to the Waste Management Office so we can come out and see the items you want to dispose of while they are still on your ground (757-890-3780).

If approved, the disposal fees will be waived. In addition, you must deliver the material in person (i.e. no employees, neighbors, or family members not living in your household.) If you do not meet the above criteria, you will have to pay a disposal fee.

11. There is water backing up into my shower/toilets/sinks. Is there a sewer backup issue?

1. Contact Information

Name
Address
Phone Number

2. What items are currently experiencing a backup in your home

12. My home is not connected to the County’s sanitary sewer system, and I have a septic tank. How often should it be inspected?

York County Ordinance requires “Each septic tank and/or pumping chamber should be inspected and if necessary, pumped out and the solids removed at least once every five (5) years.” Receipts must be sent to Department of Public Works for recording. Homeowners with septic tanks are encouraged to create an inspection schedule to determine if more frequent inspection/pump out is necessary.

Receipts for septic tank inspection/pump out should be sent to 757-890-3759 (fax), emailed to septic@yorkcounty.gov, or mailed to:

York County Department of Public Works
Septic Tank Pump-Out
P.O. Box 532
Yorktown, Virginia 23690

13. How does stormwater get treated?: Unlike sewer, stormwater does not go to a treatment plant. Some stormwater goes to a pond or other system that will remove some of the pollutants, like fertilizer, before it goes downstream to a creek and then the Bay. Older developments (prior to 1985) usually go directly to the creeks.

14. Who do I call if there is stormwater rising from the stormwater drain?: Please call Department of Public Works at 757-890-3750 and we will have the Stormwater engineers investigate the issue.

15. What do I do if my ditches are flooding? Who do I call about a drainage problem?

That depends on where the ditch is located.

Roadside ditches are maintained by VDOT. If it is along the road, it is in the VDOT right-of-way (ROW) and it is their responsibility to maintain and repair.

You can reach the local VDOT Residency Administrator’s office by phone at 757-253-5138, the Williamsburg Area Maintenance Headquarters at 757-253-5138, or the Seaford Area Maintenance Headquarters at 757-898-5151.

You can also submit a service request online at https://my.vdot.virginia.gov/, or call the central service center at 1-800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623).

If the ditch is not along the roadway, or if it is outside the VDOT ROW, then the county would maintain it (if it is in an easement dedicated to York County). If it is off the roadway and in a county easement, please call Department of Public Works at 757-890-3750 and we will have the Stormwater engineers investigate the issue. You can also put in a customer service request on our website here.

Some easements are dedicated to Homeowners Associations (HOA’s) and would be their responsibility to fix.

To find out who owns or maintains the ditches and pipes, you should start by looking at the plat for your property or subdivision. If you don’t have a copy of this, you can find it on the county website by going to property information and looking up the address. Once you are on the property in question, go to the map and under "Tools" on the upper right side, click on "Identify". Then go to the left side under "Layers" at the pop down box click on "Plat" link. Go back to the parcel in question and click on it again. Click the "More Information" link and you should be able to see the subdivision plat.

If that doesn’t work or you’re still not sure, go to the Customer Service Request Portal and put in your service request. You will be provided a work order request number.

16. What can I do to reduce flooding?: To help yourself and your neighbors, keep your ditches clean of leaves and other debris. If a big storm is coming, check to make sure nothing is blocking drainage. Loose items can wash into drainage ways so make sure items are put away.

17. How do I find out what flood zone my property is in?: On the County's website go to Property Information Lookup and type in your street name. It will list the flood zones on the information for your property and the different elevations for the AE Zone. If you go to maps and then view Interactive Map it will show your property. On the left column check Buildings and Flood Zone (under Environmental) and it will show the flood zone with relation to your house.

18. What is an Illicit Discharge, and how do I report it?

An illicit discharge is anything other than stormwater. Pollutants that are intentionally dumped into stormwater are considered illicit and the polluter can be sited for a violation of the County Stormwater Ordinance if they are caught discharging in to the County Stormwater System.

Certain activities are allowed, which include (but are not limited to):

Water line flushing
Landscape irrigation
Diverted stream flows or rising groundwater
Infiltration of uncontaminated groundwater
Public safety activities
Pumping of uncontaminated groundwater from potable water sources, or foundation drains, irrigation waters, springs or water from crawl spaces or footing drains
Air conditioning condensation
Lawn watering
Individual residential car washing
Flows from riparian habitats or wetlands
Dechlorinated swimming pool discharges
Street flushing
Those permitted by the State DEQ or DCR

To report illicit discharge, please enter a service request on our website here.

19. Who do I call about snow removal? Who do I call to report a pothole/road issue?

Road maintenance, to include snow removal and repairs, in York County is performed by Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). You can reach the local VDOT Residency Administrator's office by phone at 757-253-5138, the Seaford Area Maintenance Headquarters at 757-898-5151, or the Williamsburg Area Maintenance Headquarters at 757-253-5138.

You can also submit a service request online, or call the central service center at 1-800-FOR-ROAD (367-7623).

Please visit VDOT Resources to find answers to many VDOT related questions.

VDOT is responsible for any snow removal and landscape maintenance of medians and roadsides of York County roads.

20. Where can I get a building permit/building permit inspection?: The Division of Building Regulation is responsible for monitoring all types of building construction in the county.

21. How can I provide feedback on customer service?: The Customer Service Request Portal provides an opportunity for residents to provide feedback and identify concerns and issues.

22. How can I help reduce pollution?: You can help reduce pollution with these tips: - Do not dump anything but clean water into the storm drains or ditches - Apply fertilizers correctly - Pick up dog waste

23. What is TMDL?: TMDL stands for Total Maximum Daily Load and it's an EPA term for the maximum amount of a pollutants (i.e. phosphorous, nitrogen, total suspended solids/silt) that is allowed in a creek or river on an average daily basis.

24. Who do I call for billing?

For Utilities Billing, to include sewer maintenance, trash and recycling billing please call the Finance Department at 757-890-3702.

For Personal Property or Real Estate Billing, please call the Treasurer at 757-890-3420