As a homeowner in rural Pierce County for the last 20 years, I read with great interest that do-it-yourself septic inspections were authorized by the State of Washington back in 2000 (“DIY Septic Certifications on the Way for KP Homeowners,” April 2024).
Pierce County does not offer do-it-yourself inspections for homeowners here. Yet seven other western Washington counties, including Thurston, Mason, Clallam, Jefferson, Skagit, Whatcom and Kitsap, have all successfully implemented no-cost, self-inspection programs for homeowners.
Why hasn’t Pierce County moved forward?
When I called the county and the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department to ask about it, they said they had no plans to do anything — unless a lot of people expressed interest in getting it changed to make it free.
If you’re like me and the many other taxpayers who want DIY septic inspections to save anywhere from $400 to $700, please contact the septic team at TPCHD Environmental Health Division at omseptic@tpchd.org or 253-649-1421, or our elected county council representative Robyn Denson at robyn.denson@piercecountywa.gov or 253-798-7776.
After 24 years, isn’t it about time we be allowed to inspect and certify our own septic systems and save a lot of money too?
Dewey Gibson, Wauna
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