1. Improvement in
Henderson Inlet Water
Quality/Shellfish
Harvest Status
South Sound Science
Symposium
Oct 27, 2010

2. Henderson
Watershed …
What makes it work?

3. Where is
Henderson Inlet?

4. ... all was good ... until ...

5. Closures, downgrades, and more downgrades …

6. … and so a program evolved.
 2001: Shellfish Protection Dist formed
 2002: Committee members appointed
Risk-Based O&M program – top priority
 2003: Grant dollars available to develop
septic O&M program

7. The Process was key…
• An Advisory Committee began
late 2003
• Proposal by April 2004
• Proposal out for public
discussion …

8. More than 300 showed up for the first meeting

9. … many had serious concerns

10. … and asked lots
of questions

11. Only about 50 came for open house #2
… and 30 attended final hearing

12. Program adopted and built …
• November 2005 - Public hearing
• December 21, 2005 Board of
Health adopted ‘Area of Special
Concern’
• 2006 - Program built
• January 1, 2007 - Inspection
notices mailed

13. Low risk systems – inspect every 3 years
High risk systems – inspect every 3 years
AND
Dye test every 6 years
Key: Risk-based approach …

14. HWPA Program Statistics
*Focus: inspect, pump as needed
Certificates Issued:
Inspection +
maintenance complete
and system is
working
Number of Septic
Tanks Pumped
5503 3696
78%
of total sent
67% *
of total issued

15. Dye Tests
Number
of Dye
Tests
Number of
Systems
that Passed
Systems
needing
repair
147 94 (89%) 9 (11%)

16. Septic System Repair
Activity
Installed
% ofTotal
Installed
Systems 62 51%
Tanks 55 45%
SandFilter/
Mound
Rebuilds
4 3%
121

17. There are still steel septic
tanks in Thurston County

18. Septic Tank Levels
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
1 201 401 601 801 1001 1201 1401 1601 1801 2001 2201 2401 2601 2801 3001 3201 3401 3601 3801 4001 4201 4401 4601 4801
CombinedScum+Sludge(Inches)
Pump when scum + sludge more than 16"
Working depth of typical septic tank - 48"

19. Pumping Septic Tanks – the #1 Neglected
Maintenance Issue

20. Detail of Minor Repairs
Minor Repair Description Number of ...
Replace / repair baffles
215
Pipes, floats, electrical 180
Tank holes & cracks 131
Pump problems 52
Other 29
15-Month Total 547

21. Grants
Riser
Rebates
Key: Incentives
& Assistance
$51,000
$45,892
$74,230
Low Interest
Loans
Homeowner
Workshops

22. Riser Rebates $51,000

26. 3696 tanks have been pumped

27. Minimally
developed
shoreline
… 14.2
residences
per mile

28. But Dense
Development
2 hours
“travel time”
away

29. Stormwater treatment has also been a
high priority. Infrastructure has been
built to treat stormwater flowing to
Woodland Creek.

30. … as a
result
shellfish
growing
areas
have been
reopened!
upgrades

31. What made it happen?
Who made it happen?
Upgrade:
• The will to do it
• Hard work
• Cooperation
• Watershed residents
• Homeowners
• Farmers
• Cities
• County staff
• State agencies

32. Let’s celebrate!