8.1 Draft.0615-24_Whatcom LIO Action Plan.ReviewDraft.xlsx

	A	B	C	D	E	F
1			REVIEW DRAFT Pilot Action Plan
2	LIO Action Plan Questionnaire - Onsite Septic Systems (OSS)
3	LIO Name:	Purpose: Capture actions/activities that address priority needs, barriers, and opportunities related to improving management of onsite septic systems (OSS) locally. Inputs will populate the LIO OSS Target Action Plan and clearly articulate the most important actions needed to support OSS management in Puget Sound. Actions should be feasible to pursue between now and 2030. *Please provide a maximum of three actions/associated needs (one per row) for each OSS management objective.
4	Objectives for OSS management (See Table Key tab for further column descriptions)	Select action type	Briefly summarize the barrier/opportunity and what will be done to address that barrier/opportunity:	Provide specific details about tools, resources or changes needed to address the barrier/opportunity (specify numbers and amounts of other outputs when able):	What is the urgency of this need from a local perspective (H/M/L):	Implementation suggestions/ideas on how to pursue this:
5	1. Sustainable funding for OSS management programs to implement core activities	Mobilizing Funding	Acquire additional funding for staff capacity to implement and manage elements of the OSS O&M program including for maintenance, data management, outreach, collaboration with PIC program elements, and other OSS program management.	need for dedicated database system and management program. EPL for database (online RME)	H
6		Technical Assistance and Training	Acquire funding for a non-profit-housed OSS community liaison. Acquire funding for OSS community liaison(s) either housed at a non-profit or through individual contracts as community ambassadors.	There is a need for a community liaison housed in a non-profit setting that can serve as a "one-stop" resource for residents to communicate their needs for inspection, OSS repair, replacement and financial assistance. Currently, individuals going through OSS requirements or assistance programs may be referred several times to other organizations when they need help with completing or providing documentation for assistance or meeting OSS requirements. The liaison would also be better situated to provide translation services or assist community members when there is a distrust of government officials.	M
7	2. Existing and new OSS are inventoried and inspected	Institutional Capacity Building	Funding is needed to implement and maintain tools for tracking OSS locations, permits, evaluations, and maintenance in a coordinated way across geographies.	Need for resources for a dedicated database system and management program, specifically EPL for database (online RME).	H
8		Education and Awareness	Cultural and language barriers to communicating OSS evaluation, maintenance, and repair requirements and available technical and financial assistance.	Need for translations and culturally relevant communications related to OSS programs.	M
9		Incentives	Permit fees can be a barrier for OSS inspections.	Consider scaling permit fees for low income residents to ensure scheduled inspections.	M
10	3. OSS are repaired, replaced, maintained	Incentives	Expand and continue successful rebate and low-interest loan programs for OSS program. Reimbursement programs provide limited benefit for homeowners that do not have funds beyond typical monthly bills.	Sustained funding needed for CRAFT3 grants and low interest loans for low-income households. Consider vouchers or other systems for homeowners with low and fixed-incomes that do not have fluid funds available to complete evaluations or repairs (current programs are reimbursement programs).	M
11	3. OSS are repaired, replaced, maintained	Education and Awareness	Understand barriers in underserved communities.	Conduct an assessment of underserved communties to better understand their needs and barriers to properly functioning systems.	M
12	4. OSS owners understand maintenance best practices	Education and Awareness	Understand barriers in underserved communities.	Conduct an assessment of underserved communties to better understand their needs and barriers to properly functioning systems.	M
13			Workshop to train realtors on OSS needs in alignment with new WAC inspection requirement at time of property transfer.	Partnership or DOH pays for a Realtor workshop (certified) with realtor association (CEU option) https://www.nwmls.com/member-services/training-continuing-education/
14			connect with potential homebuyers or new owners to assess their understanding of septic system operation and maintenance.	Create a network with real estate agents to facilitate education for new homeowners
15	5. OSS owners implement maintenance best practices	Implementation and Effectiveness Monitoring and Evaluation	Address funding constraints that limit ability to monitor program effectiveness.	An effective mechanism for informing implementation and effectiveness of programs, and understanding limitations of homeowner OSS maintenance is to be able to survey them on a regular basis. However, federal funding limits this monitoring tool because developing surveys has constraints that require lengthy reviews, which creates a disincentive to local jurisdictions trying to gather timely information.	M	federal restrictions need to be re-evaluated and modified.
16	6. OSS owners have access to and are eligible for incentives, loans, and other funding sources for OSS Operation and Maintenance (O&M), repairs, and upgrades	Incentives	Expand and continue successful rebate and low interest loan programs for OSS program.	Sustained funding needed for CRAFT3 grants and low interest loans for low-income households. Consider vouchers or other systems for homeowners with low and fixed-incomes that do not have fluid funds available to complete evaluations or repairs (current programs are reimbursement programs).	H	Increase funding sources for loans and incentives
17		Education and Awareness	Effective incentive, outreach and assistance programs is preferable to enforcement and civil penalities as the approach to properly functioning systems.	Emphasize and expand incentive, outreach, and assistance programs that result in regular evaluations, maintenance, and repairs.	H
18			Special habitats require specialized septic systems, which are often more expensive than standard setups.	Prioritize additional resources for areas such as shorelines, streams, and estuaries that require specialized systems.		Increase funding and providing financial assistance to OSS owners in these critical areas to support the installation and maintenance of appropriate systems
19	7. Enforcement occurs when voluntary compliance is not achieved	Technical Assistance and Training	Provide support for equitable enforcement.	Sustained funding needed to support staff time to understand and implement equitable enforcement related to compliance and to be aware of implicit bias in enforcement processes and tracking procedures.
20		Technical Assistance and Training	Provide support for enforcement	Provide training to staff in high enforcement areas around mental health to reduce turn over in high enforcement postions.
21		Policy and Regulation Development	Within current code, if a system is 'in compliance' and a suspected discharge to a surface water is occuring, it is difficult to require additional testing of the system or access to the system.	Provide legislative support to require access to property when a sewage complaint is made.
22	8. Converting to Large On-site Sewage Systems (LOSS) or other septic solutions	Policy and Regulation Development	Definition of LOSS at state level presents challenges in how a parcel is considered because systems are going in prior to parcels being divided. More local coordination is needed in these situations to determine if a LOSS would be a better solution than multiple individual systems.	Assessments of where LOSS will be best served by multiple systems	M
23		Policy and Regulation Development	Transfer high density of onsite systems into NPDES regulated systems that fall under the state regulatory system.		M
24		Policy and Regulation Development	Within a municipality where OSS are within 200ft of a water line, there are requirements for connecting. However, those same requirements do not exist for connecting to the sewer line and municipalities have other reasons why the OSS does not need to connect.	Need for a financial support to build sewer mains and connect to sewers.	H
25		Recovery Planning and Design	Possible for more opportunity for pocket treatment plants	Need a program design for wastewater treatment/capital facilities to look across region and identify opportunities/implementation/design for regional scale. Strategic coordination for capital facilities.
26	9. Extend centralized sewer systems in areas or conditions that are not suitable for OSS performance within a Urban Growth Area (UGA)	Policy and Regulation Development	Barriers exist due to language in the GMA and the result of density allowances on public sewer and the consequence of that development. The extension of utilities outside of UGAs could be beneficial in some cases where OSS or other sewage disposal routes are taken along with the preservation of less dense zoning (e.g., shellfish districts, over built neighborhoods where there isn't room for a septic any longer, reservoirs, other sensitive areas, unsuitable for high density of OSS, etc.).	Develop options for sewer expansion in sensitive areas outside of UGAS with permanent limitations on expansion of housing density ( e.g. keep density at rural level).	H	Legislative/policy change to GMA
27			In King County we have 56,000 septic systems over 30-50 years old, it will cost $3-8 billion dollars to replace or connect to sewer. If we want them to connect to sewer, we have to help now (b/c otherwise they will get new OSS). This is mostly in urban corridor so not a lot of stream flows. CRAFT 3 program is great but only covers individual projects and many in King County don't meet the income levels so they are ineligible.	Need State and Federal support for new funding mechanisms that allow for neighborhood scale project planning (currently only at single property scale). Adjust eligibility criteria/prioritization so that it can all be reported at neighborhood level
28	10. Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) programs have sustainable funding to implement core activities (identify failures)	Mobilizing Funding	The PIC program is partially funded by NEP and partially through local funds. If the NEP grant funds were to be eliminated, elements of the program would be significantly impacted.	Continuing the successful rebate program requires a sustainable, long-term funding source. The CRAFT3 program needs to continue. Additional program support for longterm assistance is needed especially for low and fixed-income areas/homes where even paying back loans may be a hardship.	H
29			revise how PIC programs are funded to eliminate need to continually compete for and spend time on grant applications.	Create long-term sustainable funding at state level that will leverage and complement local program funding.		State block grant program for jurisdictions with active PIC programs.
30	11. Climate preparedness	Incentives	Systems benefiting from upgrades in climate vulnerable areas don't allow for eligibility of programs for financial support because the system is not failing.
31		Policy and Regulation Development	Areas vulnerable to climate change effects may be outside of UGAs but may be best served by sewer lines.	Develop options for sewer expansion in sensitive areas outside of UGAS with permanent limitations on expansion of housing density ( e.g. keep density at rural level).	H
32			Develop and implement solutions to adapting to climate change and projections.	Establish local improvement districts to support areas at risk and facilitate adaptive measures.		Look into the process of creating local improvement district
33			GIS mapping of high risk areas in context of OSS vulnerability	Use data layer and assess codes/plans to see where are the "gaps" in terms of climate planning for OSS?
34	Other	Technical Assistance and Training	Property owners or renters that have language barriers may have systems in need for repairs, maintenance. There is also a need to better understand the barriers within underserved communities	Need for a community liaison when people have issues communicating their needs for inspection, repair, replacement. Regional non-profit or other non-government representative/s to act as a resource to assist people navigating the process for OSS repair, maintenance.	H
35		Recovery Planning and Design	Need for a septage study for disposal of pumped sewage.		M	State led study
36			Need for unhoused, RVs and off-site, unsheltered dumping disposal in areas that currently don't have sanitation.	Need for pumpout and other sanitation resources. Possible voucher system as an approach for RV housed for disposing of septage.	H
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