Brinnon businesses and residents are struggling with septic issues as a multi-million dollar sewer system lies beneath their feet.
Washington approved a 3-year plan for the growth management of Brinnon in 2001, which included the installation of water and wastewater systems in the commercial zone. In 2004, Governor Gregoire funded state-of-the-art wastewater plants in state parks on the Hood Canal to protect water quality. The Brinnon Commercial Zone was included in the several-million-dollar MBR plant on Church Road, with the creation of the sewer main that runs under the commercial zone all the way to the plant. However, the Growth Management Act was passed in the middle of the process, declaring Brinnon a rural village center which limits urban infrastructure in that zone. Brinnon residents argued that their plans were approved years before.
The state waste management system (sewer) to service the Dosewallips Park in Brinnon was finished in 2014. Businesses in the commercial zone were meant to be able to hook up to the system for an estimated $10,000 per lot in 2014. At the time, the PUD wanted to help, and USDA rural development planned to fund the project. But the declaration of Brinnon as a rural village center stalled the project.
Moving on to 2021, FEMA implemented new regulations and flood zones for development. Unfortunately, the Brinnon commercial zone is classified as a flood zone, which has caused frustration among property owners who purchased land to develop their homes and businesses. Considering discussions that came out of a recent town hall (organized by Shellie Yarnell and Andrew Shwartz) and Geoduck’s public septic issues, a new Brinnon Sewer Committee made up of Brinnon residents and businesses, began urging the county to move forward on sewer hookup options.
County officials were pushing to apply for a FEMA Grant. The FEMA Grant would hire a consultant to evaluate the Brinnon commercial zone. The Brinnon sewer committee unanimously voted to oppose the grant due to the long delay it would cause and potentially increase roadblocks to improvements to the Brinnon community center. At this week’s Jefferson County meeting, the commissioners officially voted down applying for the grant because of the lack of community support. Commissioner Brotherton disagreed with the direction and commented that not getting the grant would end the community’s sewer options.
“I believe the unintended outcome of this study could shut down all Brinnon development in the rural village center,” said Dan Ventura, owner of Cove RV Park & Country Store. Leaders from the sewer committee are now looking at other potential options to move forward to negotiating sewer options with the state and local PUDs, including proposals to adopt our own locally run sewer district that will take on the liability of managing sewer hookups in a critical flood zoon.
The state sewer system is in the ground with excess capacity that could handle the existing business and residents in Brinnon. Many local septic infrastructures are at the end of their life, while businesses and homeowners in Brinnon are struggling to finance new septic systems.
One Brinnon resident was quoted between $40k and $50k to replace their septic and drain field. Additionally, a $10k archeological inspection is required, plus $10k for use of the existing right of way to get access and egress to their property, and a $2 MILLION insurance policy.
“By hooking up the businesses to the state sewer system, we can protect the Hood Canal in the event of a flood. The current septic drainage fields would drain into the Hood Canal during a flood, poisoning the shellfish and causing a ripple effect through the entire ecosystem. We are protecting the canal from wastewater in the Brinnon commercial zone by connecting businesses to the sewer, which would have a better chance of withstanding a flood impact in the commercial zone,” commented Joe Baisch, Brinnon Sewer Committee.