Mason County officials are considering charging property owners with onsite septic systems a yearly fee to help improve water quality in the County. The fee, which could be as much as $19.00, would fund Mason County Public Health’s proposed Sustainable Water Quality Program, the implementation of an Onsite Management Plan and the development of a Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) program. The goal would be to protect public health and the environment by minimizing the threat of surface and ground water contamination from failing or improperly designed, installed or maintained onsite sewage systems or potentially harmful animal keeping and land use practices. According to Debbie Riley, Environmental Health Manager for Mason County Public Health, this fee is allowed under RCW (Revised Code of Washington):
The concept was discussed Tuesday at the Mason County Board of Health meeting. Chair of the Board of Health, Shelton City Commissioner Mike Olsen, supports the idea:
Riley says there would be exemptions:
The Mason County Commission has the ultimate decision on the fee and who would pay. Other possibilities include the fee being charged to every property owner, those just in the Oakland Bay Clean Water District, or those in a shellfish protection district (shellfish protection districts also have taxing authority).
The Board of Health will continue discussions on the concept at its next meeting, 3:30 PM June 23. The proposal will then likely come before the County Commissioners after that.