BILL REQ. #:  H-0650.2 

Read first time 01/27/11.   Referred to Committee on Environment.

     AN ACT Relating to maintenance inspections of on-site sewage systems; amending RCW 43.20.050 and 70.118.120; and adding a new section to chapter 70.118 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 43.20.050 and 2009 c 495 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The state board of health shall provide a forum for the development of public health policy in Washington state. It is authorized to recommend to the secretary means for obtaining appropriate citizen and professional involvement in all public health policy formulation and other matters related to the powers and duties of the department. It is further empowered to hold hearings and explore ways to improve the health status of the citizenry.
     (a) At least every five years, the state board shall convene regional forums to gather citizen input on public health issues.
     (b) Every two years, in coordination with the development of the state biennial budget, the state board shall prepare the state public health report that outlines the health priorities of the ensuing biennium. The report shall:
     (i) Consider the citizen input gathered at the forums;
     (ii) Be developed with the assistance of local health departments;
     (iii) Be based on the best available information collected and reviewed according to RCW 43.70.050;
     (iv) Be developed with the input of state health care agencies. At least the following directors of state agencies shall provide timely recommendations to the state board on suggested health priorities for the ensuing biennium: The secretary of social and health services, the health care authority administrator, the insurance commissioner, the superintendent of public instruction, the director of labor and industries, the director of ecology, and the director of agriculture;
     (v) Be used by state health care agency administrators in preparing proposed agency budgets and executive request legislation;
     (vi) Be submitted by the state board to the governor by January 1st of each even-numbered year for adoption by the governor. The governor, no later than March 1st of that year, shall approve, modify, or disapprove the state public health report.
     (c) In fulfilling its responsibilities under this subsection, the state board may create ad hoc committees or other such committees of limited duration as necessary.
     (2) In order to protect public health, the state board of health shall:
     (a) Adopt rules for group A public water systems, as defined in RCW 70.119A.020, necessary to assure safe and reliable public drinking water and to protect the public health. Such rules shall establish requirements regarding:
     (i) The design and construction of public water system facilities, including proper sizing of pipes and storage for the number and type of customers;
     (ii) Drinking water quality standards, monitoring requirements, and laboratory certification requirements;
     (iii) Public water system management and reporting requirements;
     (iv) Public water system planning and emergency response requirements;
     (v) Public water system operation and maintenance requirements;
     (vi) Water quality, reliability, and management of existing but inadequate public water systems; and
     (vii) Quality standards for the source or supply, or both source and supply, of water for bottled water plants;
     (b) Adopt rules as necessary for group B public water systems, as defined in RCW 70.119A.020. The rules shall, at a minimum, establish requirements regarding the initial design and construction of a public water system. The state board of health rules may waive some or all requirements for group B public water systems with fewer than five connections;
     (c) Adopt rules and standards for prevention, control, and abatement of health hazards and nuisances related to the disposal of wastes, solid and liquid, including but not limited to sewage, garbage, refuse, and other environmental contaminants; adopt standards and procedures governing the design, construction, and operation of sewage, garbage, refuse and other solid waste collection, treatment, and disposal facilities;
     (d) Adopt rules controlling public health related to environmental conditions including but not limited to heating, lighting, ventilation, sanitary facilities, cleanliness and space in all types of public facilities including but not limited to food service establishments, schools, institutions, recreational facilities and transient accommodations and in places of work;
     (e) Adopt rules for the imposition and use of isolation and quarantine;
     (f) Adopt rules for the prevention and control of infectious and noninfectious diseases, including food and vector borne illness, and rules governing the receipt and conveyance of remains of deceased persons, and such other sanitary matters as admit of and may best be controlled by universal rule; and
     (g) Adopt rules for accessing existing databases for the purposes of performing health related research.
     (3) The state board shall adopt rules consistent with section 3 of this act for the design, construction, installation, operation, and maintenance of those on-site sewage systems with design flows of less than three thousand five hundred gallons per day.
     (4) The state board may delegate any of its rule-adopting authority to the secretary and rescind such delegated authority.
     (5) All local boards of health, health authorities and officials, officers of state institutions, police officers, sheriffs, constables, and all other officers and employees of the state, or any county, city, or township thereof, shall enforce all rules adopted by the state board of health. In the event of failure or refusal on the part of any member of such boards or any other official or person mentioned in this section to so act, he or she shall be subject to a fine of not less than fifty dollars, upon first conviction, and not less than one hundred dollars upon second conviction.
     (6) The state board may advise the secretary on health policy issues pertaining to the department of health and the state.

Sec. 2   RCW 70.118.120 and 1999 c 263 s 22 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The local board of health shall ensure that individuals who conduct inspections of on-site wastewater treatment systems or who otherwise conduct reviews of such systems are qualified in the technology and application of on-site sewage treatment principles. A certificate of competency issued by the department of licensing is adequate demonstration that an individual is competent in the engineering aspects of on-site wastewater treatment system technology.
     (2) A local board of health may allow noncertified individuals to review designs of, and conduct inspections of, on-site wastewater treatment systems for a maximum of two years after the date of hire, if a certified individual reviews or supervises the work during that time.
     (3) This section does not apply to inspections performed under section 3 of this act.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 3   A new section is added to chapter 70.118 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) The department or a local board of health may not require periodic maintenance and operation inspections of on-site sewage disposal systems more than once every three years if the on-site sewage disposal system:
     (a) Has a design flow of less than three thousand five hundred gallons per day; and
     (b) Is a gravity flow system, pressure distribution system, mound system, sand filter system, or biofilter system.
     (2) For on-site sewage disposal systems meeting the criteria under subsection (1) of this section, inspections may be conducted by the owner of the system or the owner's designee.
     (3) With the advice of the secretary of the department, local boards of health shall adopt policies to determine the qualifications for the on-site sewage disposal system owner, or the owner's designee, to perform an inspection. The system owner or designee must be certified as a qualified inspector by the local board of health before the owner or designee is authorized to perform an inspection.
     (4) A certificate of competency issued by the department of licensing to demonstrate that an individual is competent to perform inspections under RCW 70.118.120 is not required under this section.