By Becky Killian, Staff Writer

Officials have approved the first reading of an ordinance that details the requirements for private and commercial septic systems in the county.

The decision was made during the Tuesday, Nov. 19, meeting of the Washington County Board of Commissioners.

Chris Boling, the environmentalist for the county’s Health Department, presented the ordinance to the Commissioners during the Nov. 6 meeting. Any decisions were delayed so the Commissioners’ attorney could review it.

The ordinance will now be advertised, and a public comment period will be held. If commissioners approve a second reading of the ordinance, it will become effective.

The county had a septic system ordinance previously, but a July 2023 state law voided all local ordinances passed before that date that pertain to septic systems. That law also formed a nine-member state level technical review panel.

Boling said the new state law was prompted by a couple counties that passed what some state officials considered extreme requirements for septic systems. Now the state has taken control of such ordinances and removed some requirements, such as a minimum acreage requirement for septic systems.

Boling told commissioners that the proposed ordinance has been reviewed at the state-level and has been approved by the county’s Health Board. He said it will restore some of the local enforcement powers that were lost when the county’s original septic system ordinance was voided.

The local ordinance would require installers to register with the Health Department. The registration will be reviewed annually. Unless the installer is registered to install septic systems in another county, the installer will have to pass a certification examination.

Soil testing will still be required prior to the installation of a new septic system or before any changes are made to an existing system.

The ordinance does allow sewage holding tanks; however, Boling cautioned that the legal requirements for such systems can make them more costly than a septic system. State law lists several requirements for holding tanks including a contract with a septic system pumper to routinely empty the holding tank as well as alarms that will indicate when the tank is more than 75 percent full. Applications for these systems must be submitted to the county Health Department as well as construction plans.

Any violations of the proposed ordinance or state law concerning septic systems could result in a notice of violation being sent to the property owner, who will have a set amount of time to remediate the violation. The local Health Department could also issue a stop work order.

If the violation isn’t remedied within the allotted time frame, violators could face a fine of $2,500 each day the violation occurs.

The ordinance details the appeals process the property owner can follow to dispute any permit denials, revocations, stop work orders, and penalties,