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State health officials outline septic rules, data gaps and costs; property-transfer inspections phased to 2027
Summary
State health officials told the Local Government Committee that Washington has roughly one million on-site sewage systems, that rule revisions adopted in January 2024 include a phased-in property-transfer inspection, and that county programs lack data and funding to inspect and maintain all systems.
Jeremy Simmons, wastewater management section manager at the Washington State Department of Health, and Shay Bowman, policy adviser at the Washington State Board of Health, briefed the Local Government Committee on on-site sewage system rules, inspection requirements and management challenges.
"Washington has about a million of these systems," Bowman said, summarizing the scale of conventional septic systems that serve residences and small businesses and treat less than 3,500 gallons per day.
Officials outlined two rule sets: on-site sewage system rules in chapter 246-272A WAC (and tank rules in 246-272C WAC) that local health jurisdictions administer, and large on-site sewage system rules (identified in the presentation under chapter 246-272B and related statutory authority) that the Department of…
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