Building, and Drilling a Well, In Snohomish County
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Drilling In Snohoimish County
Snohomish County requires that all wells be sited according to Washington State codes, but they do not require that they approve the well site. However, we always recommend that the property owner have the site approved, especially on sites where the total lot size is under 5 acres in size.
State codes require that a well be placed more than 5 feet away from property/easement lines, 10 feet from buildings, 50 feet from public sewer and non-perforated septic lines/tanks, 100 feet from perforated septic lines (drainfields), and 1000 feet from the borders of permited land fills (1000 feet from the property lines of unpermited land fills).
For shared wells, Snohomish County Health Department has a form that needs to be filled out. Also, each home needs to have a Snohomish County Approved Well Site on record.
For more than two connections to a single well, the source is called a "Group B Source" requires State Health Department approval, plus engineered plans, and aquifer testing.
The general process for getting your home built in rural Snohomish County is as follows:
- Research the water wells in your area! Use the links provided else where in this site to look up well logs/reports in your area & determine where you might hit water. Note that just because your neighbors well is 50 feet deep does NOT always tell you how deep your well will be. A good place to look is at the Snohomish County Ground Water Management web site. Water quality test results are also available from this location.
- Have your septic design completed by a licensed designer (we suggest Whalen Designs in Monroe, or Amman Designs, also in Monroe). Make sure that any designer you use puts the proposed well site in an accessible location - we often suggest you put it at or near the proposed driveway, to minimize road building costs. Contact your local well driller & septic designers. Have the driller meet you at site AFTER you've met with the septic designer & had them show you where the proposed well site is.
- When meeting with your well driller, they should have a written detailed contract explaining what can happen & who should pay for what. Water well drilling is a business of uncertainties, and one of the only ways to fairly reduce the uncertainties is to have a detailed written contract between the property owner & the drilling contractor. Also, a check may be collected by the driller to send to the Department of Ecology in order to file the Notice of Intent To Drill A Water Well form. It may be necessary after meeting the driller to do some grading work so that they can move drilling equipment onto the site.
- The well should be drilled after signing a contract, but most drillers are a few weeks to a month or more out in their schedules.
- Assuming the driller reaches a reasonable source of potable water, a pump should be installed, and the well tested. We use AM Test, Inc. in Redmond, but there are testing facilities in Everett & Mt. Vernon, if not other towns.
- After drilling is finished, the driller should provide you with a Water Well Report describing the exact construction details of the well. You will need to provide this and your water test results to Snohomish Health District in order for your septic design & well to be given final approval.
- Once you have potable water & waste water facilities, Snohomish County can provide a building permit that is now only dependent on other site specific circumstances & the plans provide to Planning & Development Services.
Take a look at the below links for some helpful information related to building SFR's (Single Family Residence's).
Snohomish County's Main Web Site
Snohomish County Code - Specifically, most all building codes have been unified under title 30 - Unified Development Code. After following this link, Left Click on the Folder Icons to open them & read the tables of contents for each, Clicking on the Folder Title will show the full contents of that Folder in the right window pane.
Planning & Development Services (PDS) is responsible for building & construction permits & inspection in Snohomish County.
Want to make your building project much easier? Have the county perform a site review & pre-application conference - It might just be the cheapest $200.00 you'll ever spend! Also, are examples of residential site plans.
In Snohomish County, Drinking/Potable Water & Waste Water is overseen by Snohomish Health District.
Snohomish Health District (SHD)
Environmental Health Division
3020 Rucker Avenue, Suite 104
Everett, WA 98201-3900
(425) 339-5250, Fax (425) 339-5254
Snohomish Health District Policies:
