S-1087               _______________________________________________

                                                   SENATE BILL NO. 5574

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              50th Legislature                              1987 Regular Session

By Senators Kreidler, Bluechel and Smitherman

Read first time 2/5/87 and referred to Committee on Parks & Ecology.

AN ACT Relating to the periodic pumping of onsite sewage disposal systems; and adding a new section to chapter 70.118 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 70.118 RCW to read as follows:

          (1) The state board of health shall adopt rules requiring the periodic inspection of onsite sewage disposal systems, including operation and maintenance requirements.  The department of social and health services and the department of ecology shall be consulted in the promulgation of the rules.

          (2) The rules shall provide for compliance with the following standards:

          (a) The contents of treatment components of onsite sewage disposal systems shall be removed on a periodic basis sufficient to ensure the system operates as designed;

          (b) A licensed professional shall inspect the operation and maintenance of each onsite sewage disposal system on a periodic basis;

          (c) An inspection report shall be signed by the licensed professional and by the system owner, and:

          (i) In the case of systems with a design capacity less than or equal to three thousand five hundred gallons per day, provided to the local health officer; or

          (ii) In the case of systems with a design capacity greater than three thousand five hundred gallons per day, provided to the department of social and health services;

          (d) The contents removed from the system shall be disposed of in accordance with all applicable local and state laws and regulations; and

          (e) Penalties for noncompliance with the regulations shall be established.

          (3) Local regulations for system inspection, operation, and maintenance may be more stringent than the standards set forth in subsection (2) of this section.

          (4) Local health jurisdictions administering the rules may charge and collect a filing fee from all system owners sufficient to reimburse the jurisdiction for the costs of administering the filing of reports received.