Walla Walla County health staff outline planned updates to on‑site sewage rules; property‑transfer inspections set for 2027

Rick Dawson, environmental health division manager for Walla Walla County Department of Community Health, told county commissioners during a March workshop that the county must update local code to align with changes the Washington State Board of Health adopted in January 2024 and that one state requirement — property‑transfer sewage inspections — is scheduled for implementation in 2027.

Those inspections, Dawson said, would require a sewage system to be inspected and shown satisfactory whenever a property with an on‑site system is sold. “There were ... an April 1 deadline for the full implementation of the rule with the exception of one section, which is a thing called property transfer inspections, which will take place in 2027,” Dawson said.

Why it matters: The proposed changes affect homebuyers, sellers, installers and food‑service operators across Walla Walla County. Commissioners were told the rule changes will change who may design or maintain systems, add certification requirements for operation and maintenance personnel, and could require additional county staff or expanded use of certified private contractors if the county elects to perform transfer inspections.

Dawson said the state rules were phased: some items were immediate product‑approval changes, installer licensing changes were phased in earlier, and the…