Board of Health acts to reduce risk of groundwater and shorelines contamination

Closer monitoring of septic tanks will protect local sources of food and water

After several years of development, the King County Board of Health on June 19 adopted reforms of the county health code that will reduce the risk of contamination to local groundwater and shorelines by improving the monitoring of potentially failing on-site sewage systems.

“Protecting the water we drink is one of the key functions of public health,” said Metropolitan King County Councilmember Julia Patterson, chair of the Board of Health. “As more and more people move into our region, it is crucial that we set forward-looking standards to ensure our shorelines and groundwater sources are clean for the people, plants and animals that rely on them.”

“Protecting our shorelines is critical in ensuring toxins don’t contaminate our shellfish and other marine life,” said County Councilmember Reagan Dunn, who also sits on the Board of Health. “As food prices increase, we must make sure we protect our local sources of water and food.”

The Board of Health voted to approve health code amendments to its On-Site Sewage Code, which governs the design, construction, use, maintenance and repair of on-site sewage systems throughout King County – commonly known as septic tank systems.
The health code amendments will:

 Establish a Marine Recovery Area on Vashon Island to address groundwater and shoreline contamination due to failing septic systems;

 Require on-site monitoring of septic systems by certified private inspectors when properties are sold, and annual monitoring of Marine Recovery Areas;

 Include septic system data in geographical databases for easier identification and monitoring of septic systems;

 Streamline the regulatory review processes for on-site septic system permitting;

 Incorporate changes mandated by current state law into local health code.

The plan moved forward with input from citizen groups such as the Unincorporated Areas Councils of Vashon Island and Greater Maple Valley, as well as building industry groups like the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, and the Seattle-King County Association of Realtors.
“We appreciate the broad participation of our stakeholder groups and the Board's adoption of these regulations,” said Ngozi Oleru, Public Health’s Environmental Health Director. “We now look forward to working with our communities on the implementation of these improvements.”

Some of the changes to the monitoring effort will require substantial public outreach. Public Health agencies will work with residents to spread the word about the risks of failing septic systems contaminating local groundwater. The action includes a funding package for increased staffing for the regulatory review process for on-site sewage systems, which should help reduce the processing of applications from up to 12-15 weeks to 5-6 weeks.

“If we can identify failing systems more quickly, we can process your application more quickly,” said Dunn. “That will help you get your building permit done faster and cheaper.”