MASON COUNTY — County staff briefed commissioners on a septic rebate program funded through the Puget Sound Partnership that will reimburse qualifying property owners for inspections, pumping, certain filters and some repairs.

Staff described the rebate as covering about 75% of qualifying services up to $1,500 per property. Qualifying services noted included inspections, pumpings and ethylene (effluent) filters; staff said the program will also allow small repairs to be covered in some cases.

Staff said applicants must be owner-occupants (not short-term rentals) and that eligibility depends on watershed location; much of Mason County that drains to Hood Canal or Puget Sound will qualify, while the southwestern part of the county draining to the Chehalis (transcribed as Shalas) does not.

Commissioners discussed scenarios such as reimbursement for repairs when a contractor or utility (for example, when fiber installation damaged a line) caused system damage, and staff encouraged pursuing contractor reimbursement where appropriate while using the rebate to cover repairs when eligible.

Staff indicated the county will bring the program forward on the agenda for action at the scheduled Dec. 9 meeting.

"We're really hoping to help a lot of people with this," staff said during the briefing.