News: County announces septic system rebate program

Clallam County Environmental Health has received grant funds from the Washington State Department of Health to provide a $100 rebate to residential and commercial owners in Clallam County who have their septic system professionally located and inspected.

The program is part of a larger project to identify and locate all septic systems in all of Clallam County but particularly in the Marine Recovery Area (MRA) in the east end of the county.

Rebates are available for On-Site Septic System (OSS) work performed through March 20, 2017, and while funds are available.

Regulations require the county to know the location of all septic systems and that all septic systems be inspected at least every three years for gravity systems and annually for all other septic systems. To help OSS owners comply with state law, Environmental Health is offering the $100 rebate according to a set protocol. Priority will be given to properties in the Marine Recovery Area (MRA) in the eastern part of the county.

The priority for rebates is septic systems that do not have records of the septic system and require a system locate and inspection; older septic systems for which records exist but there are no records of inspection; and properties for which records exist but are not current on inspection.

Installation of risers also may be considered for rebate if there are funds still available after rebates for system locates and inspections have been processed.

To be eligible for the rebate, the property must meet one of the priority conditions; the homeowner or commercial owner must have the system located, if necessary, and have a complete professional inspection; complete any required maintenance; and submit proof of inspection and receipts to Environmental Health.

Remember, pumping a septic tank is not the same as having the system inspected; rebates will not be given for pumping the tank.

To determine if your septic system is eligible for the rebate program, visit www.clallam.net and select on ‘Online Permit System’ under the Online Services tab. Click on the link to find information about a parcel of land and enter your property information, then click on the appropriate parcel number on the next screen. Another means of finding your septic inspection status is to visit www.clallam.net/septic and click on Onsite Septic System Inspection Status Map under the General Information tab and zoom in to your parcel. Use the identify tool to find out about your OSS status.

A list of qualified Operation and Maintenance (O&M) providers to perform an OSS locate or and inspection can be viewed at www.clallam.net/septics.

For more information, contact Environmental Health at 417-2350 or email EnviroHealth@co.clallam.wa.us.