County meeting on proposed septic system fee June 28 moved to Snoqualmie Valley Alliance Church, Fall City

Published 3:53 pm Thursday, June 23, 2016

County residents who rely on on-site septic systems at their homes are encouraged to attend a public meeting, 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 28 at the Snoqualmie Valley Alliance Church. The subject of the meeting is a suggestion from Public Health – Seattle & King County that the county charge an annual fee on septic systems.

The Fall City meeting is the last of four meetings in a series on the fee proposal.

As proposed by the board of health, the fee would range from $23 for a rural property to $37 for an urban property. The detailed proposal is available at http://www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/board-of-health/proceedings/briefing-16-B12.aspx.

The purpose of the fee is to create a sustainable revenue source for Public Health’s obligation to monitor, inspect, and ensure the safety of the estimated 40,000 septic systems operating in King County.

According to the department’s staff report to the King County Council, which has conducted a first reading of the proposal, the county’s septic system management plan was last updated in 2007. The report also states that some counties (San Juan, Whatcom and Clark) charge a septic fee, and others (Island and Kitsap) reserve part of their storm water fees for addressing issues related to the septic systems.

For updated information on the proposal and the meeting Tuesday, visit the King County Board of Health website (above) or King County Councilwoman Kathy Lambert’s website, http://www.kingcounty.gov/council/lambert.aspx.