Proof of Potable Water
Having good drinking water is important to individual and public health. Proof of potable (drinkable) water is required for most building permits in Clallam County. This is to help make sure that the water supply for your home or business is adequate and safe.
A Water Availability application and fee are required to register proof of potable water availability for many building permits and some land development applications. The current fee is $105 if the water source is a group A or B community water system or an existing individual well. This application shall now be applied for online through the Citizen Self Service Portal by creating an account and following the instructions found under APPLY => PLANS and searching Drinking Water as a key word to select from one of 4 application types.
Incomplete applications or invalid documentation cannot be approved.
Payment is currently required to be submitted via check, exact cash or card at the Environmental Health Customer Service Counter @ 223 E 3rd Street, Room 130 or by check mailed to 111 E 3rd Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362. Please remit check to "Clallam County".
If you are connecting to an existing public water system, Environmental Health requires a verification letter from the water system owner that you will be able to connect to their system. This information is then verified with information in the State of Washington water system database to ensure the water system is in compliance with regulations and is designed to handle the added connection.
If your water supply comes from existing individual well, we require a plot plan, a well log and/or a pump test if the well is greater than 10 years old, and recent satisfactory bacteriological and nitrate water test results. More information may be required in some cases. Environmental Health reviews your information and confirms sufficient water is available. If your parcel is in the Dungeness Water Rule area, you may be required to obtain mitigation from the Department of Ecology for water use.
*Note that New wells must meet required setbacks and a Proposed New Well Site Verification application must be applied for with the $105 fee paid before the new well is drilled. The post well drilling documentation will then be applied to a Water Availability case with no fee if completed within 12 months of the well site location approval.
If you are adding a second connection to your current individual well, you may need a shared well agreement. If the new connection is a residence on the same parcel, this does not apply. If the second connection is on another parcel, a Shared Well Agreement (PDF) is required. The shared well agreement is then filed on the title to both properties with the Auditors Office.
New water systems serving commercial buildings, food service establishments or 3 or more connections require approval from the Washington State Department of Health as part of the water availability process.
Please review the links above for more detailed information. If you have any questions about the water availability verification process, please contact Environmental Health Services.