Septic Tax – Information on the $13 Operation and Maintenance Fee Starting 2023
Published 1:30 am Thursday, February 23, 2023
Starting in 2023, properties with an onsite septic system (OSS) will be assessed a $13 per septic system fee on their tax statement. The fee is assessed annually and is only on properties with onsite septic systems. These are generally properties in the County and not within city limits. It is not assessed on properties served by a municipal sewer. The fee is a result of state regulations which require homeowners to routinely inspect their onsite septic systems and for local health jurisdictions to inventory all OSS within the County. The fee was adopted by the Clallam County Board of Health in August 2021. The ordinance and fee schedule went through public process including public hearings and taking comments from the public.
The $13 per septic Onsite Septic System (OSS) fee is to cover costs of the County maintaining, receiving, and reporting on required OSS operation and maintenance (O&M) records, and providing education and outreach to Clallam residents on O&M. A primary goal of the O&M program is to prevent costly failures of septic systems to protect human health and the environment.
Specific County fee program examples include,
• Homeowner septic inspection classes, called Septic 101 and 201.
• County staff attends public outreach events, like the Home Show or Builders Expo to offer in person information and answer questions on onsite septic systems.
• The County takes the O&M report information and created an interactive map to show the status of OSS inspections throughout the County, known as the red-yellow-green map.
• The County created a Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Inspection Program for homeowners with basic OSS to inspect their own system.
• The County maintains the DIY inspections and database.
• Depending on available funding, the County offers incentives or rebates on inspection costs or low-cost repairs to help low-income homeowners.
• The County mails out reminders for septic inspections to homeowners.
• The County has enforced the codes to require repairs or inspections; the County has issued fines.
To learn more about the history of this change, go to Clallam HHS Website.
