CAN A HOMEOWNER PERFORM THEIR OWN OPERATION & MAINTENANCE?

Bremerton-Kitsap County Board of Health Ordinance No. 1996-8, Rules and Regulations Governing Onsite Sewage Systems, requires that all property owners with alternative onsite sewage systems obtain, and retain, a contract with a certified maintenance specialist to perform the required monitoring and upkeep (or maintenance) of their system (Section 15.B.2). There currently are no provisions for property owners to perform their own operation and maintenance within these regulations unless they complete and meet the requirements for a commercial contractor.

While the Health District recognizes that the commercial contractor requirements are too extensive for homeowners, and that there should be some provision for property owners who can demonstrate competency to be able to perform their own operation and maintenance, we also know through experience that the typical property owner does not have the necessary experience or equipment to perform adequate operation and maintenance. Additionally, we know that without adequate operation and maintenance, these expensive alternative sewage systems will not function as intended and, therefore, may fail, resulting in potential public health problems.

For those property owners who are willing to perform the required operation and maintenance, and can demonstrate that they have the knowledge, ability, and equipment to do so, the Health District has developed the following criteria which will enable the resident property owners to become qualified to perform their own operation and maintenance on their single family/primary residence that they reside in:

• The resident property owner must apply for, take and pass the O&M Certification Exam. Initial certification and annual recertification is also required. Testing and certification fees apply.
  
• The resident owner must pay for and submit a completed Onsite Sewage System Waiver application to waive the annual contract requirements with a certified contractor contained in Section 15.B.2.
  
• The resident owner must procure, or show the ability to obtain, the equipment necessary to perform the required operation and maintenance on their type of alternative system (e.g., septic tank sludge judge, etc.).
  
• The resident owner must obtain, complete, and record a “Notice to Title for Homeowner Maintenance” to alert future property owners that the alternative onsite sewage system was maintained by the certified owner and not a certified contractor per the regulations.
  
• If the alternative onsite sewage system utilizes a proprietary device, and the device is still within its manufacturer warranty period, the resident property owner must provide a letter from the manufacturer that they agree to allow the property owner to perform maintenance on the proprietary device under warranty, or the property owner must submit a letter accepting and acknowledging that they are voiding their manufacturers warranty.
  
• For a minimum of the first two years of homeowner certification, the property owner will be required to perform the maintenance of their system under observation of the Health District Operation and Maintenance Coordinator to demonstrate competency. This cost of the observation will be covered through the annual certification fee.

Failure to comply with the regulations and any of the above requirements will result in both the immediate termination of the operation and maintenance specialist certification and the issuance of an enforcement notification indicating the requirement to obtain an operation and maintenance contract with a certified Operation & Maintenance Specialist.