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Resident urges Pierce County to adopt state-approved DIY septic inspection program
Summary
At the council’s community forum a resident urged Pierce County to implement a Department of Health-approved DIY septic inspection program, arguing it would reduce costs and help low-income residents. The county did not respond during the forum; the speaker offered to gather supporting letters from other counties.
A Pierce County resident urged the council during the April 1 community forum to adopt a DIY septic-inspection program that the speaker said the Washington State Department of Health has approved for use by homeowners.
Dewey G told the council the state Department of Health released an instructional video 11 years ago that trains homeowners to perform septic inspections and that about 900 counties use the video in their programs. He said the state official he spoke with, Jeremy Simmons, confirmed the video remains accurate and that homeowners can follow it to complete inspections, including for gravity and pressurized systems.
Why it matters: The speaker argued a DIY inspection program would lower costs and help low-income residents, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities comply with state septic regulations. He said Pierce County has delayed implementation and urged council leadership to press the Department of Health and county staff to move forward.
Dewey G offered to collect letters from counties that use DIY programs and asked the council to lead or accelerate adoption in Pierce County. The clerk noted the speaker’s written comments would be useful for the record; no county response or staff commitment was made during the forum.
Ending: The council did not take action during the meeting. The resident urged follow-up and suggested outreach to counties with existing programs to document success stories.
