Planning commission refines draft RV rules: hookups required if occupied 30 days or more

Clallam County planning staff continued the commission's review of proposed revisions to county code governing placement and occupancy of recreational vehicles (RVs), including a new draft section labeled 33.58 that would require hookups and sanitation controls whenever an RV is placed on a parcel for 30 days or more for occupancy or "periodic occupancy." Bruce, Director of Community Development, presented the draft and answered commissioners' questions.

The proposal aims to reduce environmental and public-health risks from unsecured sewage and makes several specific operational requirements for RVs used as temporary residences. The draft would require that an RV maintained for occupancy for 30 or more days: be currently licensed and in working order; be movable within two days' notice; be provided with a stable source of power, potable water and an adequate sewage-disposal method to the satisfaction of the Washington Department of Labor and Industries and the Clallam County Environmental Health Division; and not discharge gray or black water to ground or surface water.

Why it matters: county staff and several commissioners said the update is intended to draw a clear line between recreational, short-term use and longer-term residence to protect septic systems, surface waters and neighbors while avoiding overreach into household behavior. The commission discussed enforcement practicality, how to treat individuals who use RVs seasonally, and whether the draft should encourage more permitted RV parks as an alternative to dispersed, unregulated overnight occupancy.

Most significant…