Snohomish County’s Savvy Septic program was recently awarded $200,000 by the US Environmental Protection Agency through the Washington State Department of Health.

This new grant award, which has no match requirement, is critical to continued program operation. Savvy Septic offers low-interest loans, low-income grants, maintenance rebates, and educational workshops to help county homeowners maintain healthy septic systems.

Since the program’s launch in 2015, Savvy Septic has helped 117 homeowners repair or replace failing septic systems, with nearly 90 percent of those participants qualifying for low-income financial assistance. The Program has issued 472 maintenance rebates for septic system inspections and riser installation.

Savvy Septic loans are issued through a regional septic lending partnership with Craft3, and the county administers the grant and rebate portions of the program. In total, the Savvy Septic program has helped treat approximately 5.6 million gallons of wastewater resulting in more than $1.3 million in work for local contractors.

The County program was originally funded through a $292,659 Centennial Grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology, with matching funds from the Snohomish County Surface Water Management.

“The Savvy Septic program continues to help our homeowners and keep our water clean,” said Dave Somers, Snohomish County executive. “With this grant we will continue to improve environmental and public health for our residents, contribute to a stronger local economy, and keep our waterways clean.”