Welcome to Skagit County
January 18th, 2012
Skagit County to
host a Community Meeting to discuss turning the Samish Watershed into a Marine
Recovery Area, January 24, 2012
SKAGIT COUNTY - On January
24, 2012, Skagit County Public Health will host a community meeting regarding
the proposal to make the entire Samish Watershed a Marine Recovery Area (MRA).
The meeting will take place from 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at the Alger Community
Hall, located at 18735 Parkview Lane, Burlington (Alger).
The purpose of the meeting is to answer questions about the proposal to make
the Samish Watershed an MRA. There are four MRAs and one sensitive area in the
Samish Watershed that were designated by Skagit County Commissioners in 2008.
When Skagit County Public Health held a public hearing on December 13, 2011,
to expand the current Samish MRAs, several citizens voiced their opposition.
An MRA designation applies only to on-site sewage (septic) systems and not to
other sources of fecal coliform bacteria. The Samish Watershed has struggled
with high levels of fecal coliform bacteria for many years. These bacteria come
from warm-blooded animals, including humans.
If a property owner is in a Marine Recovery Area, Skagit County Public Health
will contact them to ensure they have had an inspection of their septic system.
Septic system inspections, or operations and maintenance inspections, are completed
by individuals certified by Skagit County Public Health. State law requires
that conventional gravity systems are inspected every three years, and all other
systems are inspected every year. If a property owner's most recent operations
and maintenance inspection is current, they will not be contacted. An inspection
averages about $200. A septic tank pumping may or may not be required following
the inspection. Septic tank pumping can cost more. Oftentimes, a septic system
inspection will result in fixing a small problem that could cause the entire
system to fail.
Skagit County Public Health is offering a $100 rebate on an inspection for qualified
property owners. People can also receive an additional $100 rebate for installing
septic tank risers and lids, which make future inspections easier. Attendance
at a Septics 101 class is required to be eligible for the rebates. Visit www.skagitcounty.net/septic
for a current class schedule. Low-interest loans are also available to repair
failing septic systems.
The Clean Samish Initiative (CSI) is a collaborative effort by many individuals
and agencies working to reduce the impact of fecal coliform sources in the Samish.
Assuring that all septic systems are working properly is one part of the CSI.
An MRA designation allows Skagit County Public Health to use State and
Federal funding to ensure that all on-site sewage or septic systems are working
properly.
For more information, contact Corinne Story at corinnes@co.skagit.wa.us
or at (360) 336-9459.