SB 6234 Washington Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Regulating sewage grinder pumps for new residential buildings.

SB 6234 prevents cities, counties, water-sewer districts, and public utility districts from banning sewage grinder pumps in new single-family homes that meet specific criteria: located below public sewer lines, connected to low-pressure systems, requiring vertical wastewater movement, and having required safety valves. The bill clarifies that property owners own and maintain these pumps, though local entities may take over maintenance at their discretion. If owners fail to maintain pumps, sewer providers can make repairs and bill them. This applies uniformly across all local jurisdictions in Washington State to address drainage challenges where gravity systems aren't feasible.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Jan 20, 2026 Last action Mar 10, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Bill → Substitute Bill · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to narrow its scope from all residential buildings to only single-family residences. It also added specific technical requirements, such as the need for a check valve or backflow preventor and consistency with the utility provider's plan, and clarified ownership and maintenance responsibilities between property owners and sewer providers.

Scope change

The bill's applicability was narrowed from 'new residential buildings' to 'new single-family residences' in all relevant sections.

SCOPE

Changed the target audience from all 'new residential buildings' to specifically 'new single-family residences'.

Added a new section to chapter 54.04 RCW, expanding the bill's reach to include additional regulatory bodies.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement that pumps must have a check valve or backflow preventor and be consistent with the utility provider's sewer system plan.

Replaced the specific condition about geologic site conditions with a broader clause stating that gravity or other alternatives (like septic pumping) are not possible.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded eligibility criteria to include systems connected to private low-pressure sewer systems, not just public ones.

DEFINITION

Added a new subsection defining ownership and maintenance responsibilities, clarifying that property owners own the pumps but sewer providers may perform repairs if the owner fails to maintain them.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

Minority; without recommendation.

upper

Feb 2, 2026

Upper · Passed

Executive action taken in the Senate Committee on Local Government at 1:30 PM.

upper

Jan 26, 2026

Upper · Passed

Public hearing in the Senate Committee on Local Government at 1:30 PM.

upper

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor