Board approves change to septic waiver policy to align local practice with state rules

The Mason County Board of Health voted to adopt a policy clarifying that on-site septic-system waivers expire with the permit to which they are attached rather than remaining valid indefinitely. The board approved the change after staff explained the county had previously treated waivers as standalone approvals that could be applied to new permit applications decades later. "We were treating waivers like they were their own separate permit," said Ian (department staff), summarizing the shift and citing examples of waivers from the 1990s being re-used for modern permit reviews. Board members discussed the consumer concern that reapplying for waivers could add cost; Paula Johnson, a septic designer and member of the on-site advisory board, proposed a compromise to avoid unnecessary fees for property owners. Ian said the change will not affect waivers attached to systems that were actually installed and permitted: "Your permit once a permanent system is installed, that waiver stays with that permit into the future." Staff explained typical permit time frames: most septic permits are valid for three years and may be extended to five years; beyond that, a new design and review will generally be required. The board voted to adopt the policy as drafted. Staff provided fee context during the discussion: county septic permit fees were cited as $825; a local waiver-review fee was described as $200 and a state-level waiver review fee as $305. The board and staff said the policy change is primarily procedural — it aligns county practice with state on-site sewage rules (WAC) and clarifies that waivers issued long ago should not be automatically re-used for contemporary new permits. The change takes effect as a local policy; staff will incorporate the language into permitting procedures and notice applicants of the expiration rules.