Marin County officials are hosting a series of community meetings and drop-in sessions asking for public input on inspections, permitting and the financial challenges of onsite wastewater treatment systems.
For people living in the stunning landscapes of West Marin, septic systems are a serious matter and an expensive one, causing some residents to report on their neighbors while others lay low until inspectors arrive.
A septic system is a concrete or fiberglass tank buried on a landowner’s property that accepts all the wastewater coming from the house – showers, toilets, washing machines. The solids settle at the bottom of the tank, while the liquids overflow into a system of perforated pipes that allow it to percolate into the soil, which naturally removes harmful bacteria or viruses. Sewer systems, by contrast, collect wastewater and treat it in centralized facilities designed to manage large volumes.
Every piece of land in West Marin has a different geology, soil type and slope, so a uniform approach is not practical. That’s why the county is revising its Local Agency Management Program, a process that has been in the works since 2014. The LAMP sets standards for onsite wastewater treatment systems, as long as it complies with state standards. According to the county’s website, if the county does not complete an approved LAMP, the less flexible one-size-fits-all state regulations will become the default rule.
Currently, septic system inspections are triggered by permits or complaints. For the residents who attended a countywide community meeting on Friday, the inspection system is lax and confusing.
‘There’s got to be a way’
Laura Chariton, who lives in Mill Valley near the Muir Woods National Monument, said problems with a neighbor’s leaking system have been going on for at least 10 years.
“It has to be pumped regularly, but it’s pretty unbearable to live with,” Chariton said. “We have problems with substandard systems and people adding on to them, building new little homes and tiny houses. We’re being surrounded by that.”
Chariton asked for a county process to deal with that type of problem without it turning into a situation where people are having to constantly report on their neighbors. Many of them have lived in the area for a long time and have old septic tanks constructed of redwood that have since degraded.
“There’s got to be a way to help people who want to come into compliance with the latest standards, whatever they are,” she said. “People can’t afford to do it, because they’re seniors on fixed incomes, just financial hardship and burden. Is there a way to get grant money to some of those people for the community’s benefit?”
Tom McCafferty is director of properties for the Community Land Trust Association of West Marin, a nonprofit that builds and renovates properties for those in need. McCafferty acknowledged that there is a disconnect in inspection oversight.
“The systems that are inspected are the new ones that have been recently put in, and then the problematic systems are kind of grandfathered in and remain uninspected,” McCafferty said, adding that people might consider getting composting toilets, which are fully contained in a tank and do not include a drainage area. “Our seniors on fixed incomes, who can’t afford a brand-new system, it puts the onus on them to get an inspection and have that $100,000 expense.”
Septic costs hinder ADU development
Another resident, Ralph Wedge, said the cost of septic was a deterrent for building accessory dwelling units. ADUs are promoted by state and local leaders to quickly add affordable housing, by building a small apartment in the backyard.
“It took almost four years to get the permit,” said Wedge. “Just the permit cost, with all the engineers that were required by the county, the permit cost was upwards of $30,000. The system that they finally approved is going to cost $71,000. And that’s just to tie into my existing system.”
According to county spokesperson Myisha Quintanar, Stinson Beach has their own permit with the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board to manage the systems as part of their district responsibilities, and the county currently manages the shared septic system for the community of Marshall.
County staff hope to complete community outreach by June and bring the updated regulations to the Marin County Board of Supervisors for approval in fall 2026. There will be another round of community input after the LAMP has been implemented for two years.
Upcoming community meetings will take place at 6 p.m. on April 28 at the Margaret Todd Senior Center in Novato, on April 30 at the San Geronimo Valley Community Center and on May 13 at the Bolinas Firehouse. Confidential individual drop-in sessions will take place between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. on May 6 at the West Marin Health & Human Services in Point Reyes Station and on May 13 at the Novato Library.
