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Hello, and happy June from the King County On-site Sewage System (OSS) Program! Thanks to all who have joined us for a public meeting this past month or given their input on code revisions. We're excited to continue this process, with two more public meetings this month - including one later this week!
In this month's newsletter, we're covering upcoming meetings and other input opportunities. We're also providing more information about two of the main code topic areas - design specifications, as well as repairs and remodeling. Finally, we've included information about financial assistance that's available for OSS work.
As always, if you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely,
Lynn Schneider, RS | OSS Program Supervisor
206.477.2124 | lynn.schneider@kingcounty.gov
Lara Brezina, RS | Interim OSS Operation & Maintenance Program Supervisor
206.477.1764 | lbrezina@kingcounty.gov
Si tiene alguna pregunta, comuníquese con nosotros a la siguiente dirección de correo electrónico lbrezina@kingcounty.gov o llame al 206.477.1764.
Nếu quý vị có bất kỳ câu hỏi nào, vui lòng liên hệ với chúng tôi tại lbrezina@kingcounty.gov hoặc gọi 206.477.1764.
Hadii aad su’aalo qabto, fadlan nagala soo xiriir lbrezina@kingcounty.gov ama soo wac 206.477.1764.
如果您有任何疑问，请通过 lbrezina@kingcounty.gov 或致电 206.477.1764 与我们联系。
Our code revision public meeting series continues with two opportunities this month. The first is for clean water advocates - people who live, work, or play on water. The second is for King County's Spanish-speaking population.
Additionally, you can continue to learn more and share your ideas through our code revision survey and website:
Take our survey: Share your thoughts about how local OSS (On-site sewage systems) rules affect your life. This survey asks about specific proposed code revisions. It should take approximately 10 minutes to complete.
Visit our website: Learn more about OSS in King County, the overall code revision process, and how to stay involved.
Join us at a public meeting in June
- Virtual meeting for people who live, work, or play on water
- Virtual meeting for Spanish-speaking communities
We'll host three more meetings in July and August - you can find more information on our community engagement webpage.
We look forward to having you join us and share your input!
The OSS (On-site sewage systems, also known as septic systems) code revision process covers 5 main topic areas:
- Land use & development
- Design specifications
- Repairs & remodeling
- Certifications & oversight
- Operations & maintenance
Over the next few months, we'll provide more context about each of these areas in our newsletter. This month, we're focusing on design specifications and repairs & remodeling.
Design specifications
The goal of the design specifications topic area is to ensure right-sized solutions for all OSS, by authorizing the best designs with proven healthy outcomes.
Two of the following proposed code revisions are driven by the recent State code update. The other two are opportunities for the local code to be more clear and easier to follow. As we go through this code revision process, public input may lead to additional proposed changes.
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Find simple requirements to meet nitrogen reduction needs. The state updated nitrogen reduction requirements to address nitrogen pollution in groundwater by OSS. King County already has some requirements, and we want to make sure our implementation process is straightforward and protects groundwater sources.
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Determine under which conditions King County will allow using increased loading rates included in revised WAC. The new state codes allow for increased loading rates, which means a smaller drainfield footprint. We're determining what conditions would allow for increased loading rates without causing premature failure and endangering neighbors. This is especially an issue in areas where more building is allowed to meet growing housing needs.
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Add a definition for 'bedroom'. The size of an OSS is determined, in part, by the number of bedrooms in a building. Our current codes don't define what a bedroom is. We need everyone to have the same idea of what a bedroom is, so we can determine the necessary capacity of the OSS. This will make it easier for developers and property owners to plan well for current and future uses.
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Add requirements for quality and clarity of record drawings. State and local codes require a site plan, or record drawing, to show the location of an OSS relative to other features on the property. This change will set a standard for the record drawings so everyone can understand them. This will reduce time spent, and thus costs for homeowners and businesses.
Repairs & remodeling
The goal of the repairs & remodeling topic area is to ensure the permitting process for repairs & remodels is simple and doesn't undermine healthy OSS. This will help protect homeowners and communities. It's important to fix small problems before they become bigger, more complex, and more expensive! We want to make sure that each property owner can do so easily while also making sure that repairs will properly treat wastewater to prevent public health issues.
We've identified the following proposed code revisions that we think are important. As we go through this code revision process, public input may lead to additional proposed changes.
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Add definition of 'minor repair'. Clarifies what is meant by minor repair and when a permit isn’t required. This will help homeowners understand the process and timeline for work on their OSS. This change is required to comply with the recent State code update.
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Change: Add protections against unpermitted OSS installations. This change adds protections against unpermitted OSS installations (aka bootlegs), so that homeowners and neighborhoods don’t have to live near unnecessary OSS failures that can harm home values and clean water.
When an on-site sewage system (OSS) is due for an inspection or the drains start gurgling, the first thought is often “How will I afford to fix any problems??” Public Health – Seattle & King County works hard to make sure that financial assistance is available for everything from the $300 inspection to the $50,000 replacement. Find more information about financial assistance options at www.kingcounty.gov/oss/loans.
Each month, we'll define key terms to know about septic systems.
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OSS (On-site Sewage System, also known as a septic system)
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A system of components, located on or nearby the property it serves, that conveys, stores, treats, and/or provides underground treatment and dispersal of sewage. It consists of a collection system (pipes), a treatment component (septic tank), and a soil dispersal component (drainfield).
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Nitrogen
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Nitrogen is an element found in wastewater. Nitrogen concentrations are generally between 50 and 60 milligrams per liter (mg/L) in domestic wastewater but can be higher if a home uses low-flow fixtures. Release of nitrogen from conventional OSS may lead to unsafe concentrations in drinking water and may cause severe water quality problems such as algae blooms and low dissolved oxygen levels (which can cause fish kills).
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Loading rate
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The amount of wastewater that is discharged onto land during a specific time period. For OSS, this is usually described as the number of gallons per square foot per day. Loose soils with coarse sand can accept more wastewater than tight soils with lots of clay.
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Public meeting
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A friendly gathering space (either in person or virtual) where we invite you to provide your thoughts and concerns about the proposed changes to KC BOH Title 13 (our OSS code).
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Minor repair
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The repair or replacement of any of the following OSS components: control panels; building sewers; any other portions of tightline in the OSS; risers and riser lids; sewage tank baffles; effluent filters; sewage tank pumps and lids; pump control floats; and OSS inspection boxes and ports.
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Site plan
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A drawing created by an OSS professional which accurately shows the components of an OSS and other important features on a parcel.
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Key steps in the code revision process (Note: the timing for this process is dynamic, and subject to change):
You can read previous OSS Code Revision newsletters by using the links below:
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January 2024: Newsletter introduction, OSS 101, and what to know about the OSS code revision process.
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February 2024: Lifecycle of an OSS, and local OSS codes
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March 2024: Summary of changes to state OSS codes
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April 2024: Process for updating local OSS codes
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May 2024: Public input opportunities, and details about the land use & development code topic area.
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