Arapahoe County Board of Health adopts updated on-site wastewater regulations

The Arapahoe County Board of Health voted to adopt revisions to the county's on-site wastewater treatment system regulations after a public hearing and staff recommendation.

Jennifer, the director who presented the hearing foundation, said the updates were developed to align the county's rules with the state's recent changes (Regulation 43) while preserving local authority and retaining certain local opt-ins. Staff told the board the draft had been sent to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) for approval and returned with only minor edits.

"Our staff recommendation is to adopt the proposed on-site wastewater treatment regulations and the revisions as presented," Jennifer said.

Director Christie moved to adopt the proposed revisions; Jennifer seconded. After a voice vote in which the board expressed assent, the chair announced, "Hearing none, motion passes."

Staff told the board the adoption carries no material fiscal impact and can be implemented with existing staff. The revisions are intended to clarify ambiguous provisions and incorporate state-mandated updates while keeping locally chosen opt-ins where appropriate.

The hearing began with staff citing statute 25-10-104 as the authority requiring a public hearing on proposed rule changes and noted the county's published notice in the Littleton Independent. The board did not record a roll-call tally for the adoption; the action was approved by voice vote during the meeting.

The board did not identify any immediate implementation obstacles and directed staff to proceed with updating public-facing materials to reflect the adopted regulations.