• Onsite sewage systems, commonly known as septic systems, are widely used around Puget Sound to treat sewage from properties not served by sewers. When septic systems leak or malfunction, raw sewage can surface or move through the soil to groundwater, streams, lakes, rivers, and Puget Sound.
• All homeowners are responsible for taking care of their systems. The twelve Puget Sound local health jurisdictions oversee management plans to help homeowners maintain their systems, and the Department of Health provides additional technical and financial support.
• In Marine Recovery Areas and other designated areas, local health jurisdictions engage more directly with homeowners to help ensure systems are inventoried, inspected, and maintained to reduce public health risks. Marine Recovery Areas, defined by state statute, are designated where septic systems are associated with the degradation of shellfish growing areas, marine waters are listed as polluted for low dissolved oxygen levels or fecal coliform, or marine waters where nitrogen has been identified as a contaminant of concern.

• Actions proposed in the Action Agenda that advance this Vital Sign (let us know if we missed any!): 
  • Enhanced OSS in Clallam County's MRA Phase 2
  • Enhanced OSS in Clallam County's MRA Phase 3
  • Financing Options for Healthy Onsite Sewage Systems (OSS)
  • Jefferson County On-site Septic System Repair/Abatement Program
  • Penn Cove Water Quality Improvement -Coupeville Sewer Extension
  • Thurston Shellfish Growing Areas OSS Pollution Prevention

• Leadership Council Resolution 2011-16, Adopting a 2020 ecosystem recovery target for on-site sewage systems
• Wastewater and On-site Sewage Systems Targets Technical Memorandum

Articles related to sewage pollution in the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound