Environmental Health
 WATER SYSTEM DEFINITIONS ALTERNATIVE WATER SOURCE refers to a water system source other than a drilled well drilled by a licensed well driller. Drilled wells are the current public health standard. For additional information contact the Skagit County Health Department at 416-1500. COLIFORM BACTERIA
are normal and ubiquitous on the surface of the earth. A presence of coliform
bacteria indicates to public health professionals that surface contamination
is evident. Fecal coliform and E. coli are subgroups of the larger coliform
family. A presence of fecal coliform or E. Coli indicates that the contamination
is derived from a warm-blooded animal. E. Coli is a subgroup of the larger
fecal coliform family. There are many strains of E. Coli and is not necessarily
the "famous" O157 type. An absence of bacteria is a satisfactory
water result and means "for that sample only" that the drinking
water standard has been met. Bacterial water quality can be transient.
One sample alone is not considered significant but many satisfactory samples
over time is desirable and shows the water to be "safe" over
differing seasons and under differing situations. COORDINATED WATER SYSTEM PLAN (CWSP) gives guidance to new and expanding public systems in Skagit County. The current Skagit County Local Regional Supplement was approved July, 1993. Furthermore, the CWSP will be updated and approved sometime in the Year 2000. PUD of Skagit County is the Satellite Manager for all of Skagit County and the receiver of failing public systems. For further information, see Washington Administrative Code Chapter 246-293 and RCW 70.116. GROUP A
PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM GROUP B
PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM- A 2-14 connection public water system with ongoing
jurisdiction usually with the Skagit County Health Department. A "simple
system" is defined as a water system that has no storage or treatment
requirements. A homeowner can design a simple system if he has the expertise
and plans to reside there. Skagit County Health Department will do the
plan review. A professional engineer will design public systems with storage
and/or treatment requirements. The plan review will be completed by the
State Dept. of Health. Water Rights may be a concern for systems with
7 or more connections. For additional information, please review the Group
B Water System Plan Approval Overview. INDIVIDUAL WATER SYSTEM refers to one drilled well per home. PUBLIC WATER SYSTEM refers to multiple houses on one drilled well source. SEAWATER INTRUSION occurs when either a fresh water aquifer becomes infiltrated with saltwater. It occurs along most saltwater shorelines in Skagit County, especially all of the islands. An Interim Seawater Intrusion Policy was signed on December 12, 1994. The policy seeks to educate, increase chloride monitoring and stabilize intrusion where it is already a documented problem. When building permit or land division approvals are sought, an additional $100 processing fee is required to ensure that the Interim Policy is followed. For additional information, please see the policy. WATER RIGHTS are granted from the State Department of Ecology establishing a legal beneficial use of the water. Surface water grants began in 1917 and groundwater right law began in 1945. For more information see the Dept. of Ecology website. WATER WELL REPORT is the document that the licensed well driller creates to document the well he has just drilled. It provides quantity information and the geological layers he has drilled through to find the fresh water aquifer. He must submit this document to the Dept. of Ecology within 30 days of completing the well. For wells within Skagit County, Ecology provides copies of the Water Well Report for our files. WELL DELEGATION
is a State Dept. of Ecology program which delegates to the local Health
Department to view the installation of drilled well seals and abandonments.
Skagit County is involved in this program, as well as Whatcom, Snohomish,
San Juan and many other counties. |