The Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority (VIWMA) will reinstate its septage disposal fee beginning Jan. 1, 2026, which officials said strengthens funding for wastewater infrastructure across the territory.
The fee, which was approved by the Public Services Commission (PSC) and set at $75.58 per 1,000 gallons of wastewater, will apply to septage delivered to VIWMA treatment plants by private-sector companies that remove and transport wastewater from septic systems, portable toilets, and other privately owned wastewater treatment systems.
VIWMA representatives said the fee — legally permitted since 2017 — had been scheduled to take effect in mid-2025 but was postponed before now being implemented at the start of next year. VIWMA officials and haulers attended recent meetings to discuss how the fee will work and to outline what will and will not be accepted at treatment plants. The fee is expected to support ongoing operations, equipment upgrades, and maintenance needs at facilities across the territory, according to a recent news release.
Septage subject to the fee will be received at the Harold G. Thompson Jr. Treatment Plant on St. Croix, the Mangrove Lagoon Treatment Plant on St. Thomas, and the Cruz Bay Treatment Plant on St. John. VIWMA has said the revenue generated by the fee will help stabilize wastewater operations and better position the authority to maintain infrastructure critical to environmental and public health in the territory.
