Thurston County Public Health and Social Services, Environmental Health Department has no right or intention to prohibit property sales. Our goal is to protect public health and provide information to all parties involved in the sale or transfer of property. The Evaluation Report will include any violations or deficiencies found during the inspection and record review.

Yes, each individual septic system requires a complete application, required reports, and applicable fee.

Failing septic systems are a public health concern. If the septic system is found to be failing, it must be immediately addressed. Common failures include sewage backing up into the building, sewage surfacing on the ground, or a leaking sewage tank. Environmental Health's Compliance Section will follow-up on any system found to be in failure, which could result in a Notice of Violation.

Deficiencies that require attention but do not require immediate repair include, but are not limited to, missing or broken inlet/outlet baffles, malfunctioning pumps, broken monitoring ports, clean-outs, or risers, and systems not properly sized for the number of bedrooms within the residence. However, permit applications or required Operational Certificates may be held until deficiencies are corrected.

Both major and minor deficiencies, as defined in Article IV of the Sanitary Code, will be noted on the Evaluation Report. If the problems are corrected according to regulations, a new Time of Transfer Application can be submitted within twelve months of the previous report issue date with the applicable fee, and an updated report will be issued.

​A sewage system repair permit is required to replace a tank or drain field. A repair permit is not required to repair or replace baffles or pumps.