01/30/2006: "County Receives $71K For County Wide Sewage Plan"

San Juan County will be hiring a new half-time Environmental Health Technician to work on a County wide sewage plan that is required by the State. The County has grumbled for years about the State passing mandated legislation and programs that are un-funded, but at least in this case the state has approved a grant to pay for the cost of implementing the new sewage rules.

Environmental Health Manager Mark Tompkins received permission from the Board of Health for the new position, and told the Board that under the new rule adopted by the State Board of Health, San Juan and 11 other Puget Sound Counties are required to develop a written plan that will spell out how they will control the "development and management activities for all septic systems" in the county.

To meet the new State requirements, SJC must continue the process of developing and maintaining an "inventory of all known septic systems in operation, identify areas where systems could pose an increase public health risk, and identify appropriate Operation and Maintenance requirements commensurate with risks within these geographic areas". While SJC already has a large data-base of existing septic systems, many of the old records can only be located by using the name of the person who applied for the permit at the time, as opposed to the newer process of simply typing in a nine digit parcel tax number.

The new State rule, and the funding to make it happen, is partly the result of the State's concern of the potential public health risks of improperly maintained septic systems; and in particular in the Puget Sound counties that have shellfish growing and swimming areas, some of which have already been degraded as a result of failing septic systems. While San Juan County has taken a pro-active role in protecting the waters of the county, to the extent that there have been no negative impacts that resulted in closures, the new money will help to continue the work the County has undertaken in the past.