Vashon residents press King County on costs, data and scope of proposed septic inspections

Residents at Thursday’s Vashon‑Maury Community Council meeting strongly questioned King County Public Health’s proposal to expand the Marine Recovery Area and require new inspections for shoreline septic systems.

Ron Smotherman, a resident who spoke during public comment, estimated there are roughly 1,400 waterfront septic systems and said “1,400 times $500 to inspect our septic systems is $700,000 a year,” arguing the burden would fall heavily on property owners. Public Health’s Megan Jackson replied that the department’s planning estimate is ‘just over 1,300’ shoreline systems and emphasized available rebates and assistance for low‑income residents. Jackson acknowledged the proposal is a draft and encouraged ideas such as targeted or one‑time surveys before a broad mandate.

Other residents and local experts called for more sampling and clarified methodology. Armin Yusufian and several speakers urged phased implementation targeted to highest‑risk shorelines, citing a county study of 86 sites that found mostly low indicator bacteria and only a small number of problem locations. Public Health said sampling coverage is uneven, that marine stations are sampled monthly while shoreline tests are project‑based, and that dye and follow‑up tests have confirmed human‑source pollution at specific locations. The department agreed to continue outreach and consider delaying implementation to allow more testing and capacity building.

Council members and the county agreed to continue the conversation at future meetings and to make study reports available to the public.