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Garbage & Waste
Snohomish County Health Department is involved in permitting and monitoring how garbage and other waste is handled in Snohomish County. The Health Department works to assure compliance with RCW 70.95, WAC 173-304 - Minimum Functional Standards for Solid Waste Facilities and WAC 173-350 - Solid Waste Handling Standards.
Garbage complaints
We investigate complaints concerning the following activities:
- Uncontained putrescible garbage or excessive amounts of animal waste that attracts flies or rodents
- Illegal dumping on private or public property without the owner's permission
- Burning of non-vegetative materials
- Improper hazardous waste storage
Public Health responds to all questions and complaints in a timely manner. Complaint responses usually involve a visit to the site in question, assessment of the problem, working with the site owner or manager to correct the problem, and education of other staff to avoid the problem in the future. Please note that the Health Department does not have a pest control program and does not investigate pest infestations. Visit our Rodents and Pest page for resources and information.
Garbage disposal & recycling facilities
Garbage must be disposed of at an approved Snohomish County Solid Waste Facility. See Snohomish County for a list of transfer stations.
Recyclable materials, such as appliances, construction debris, yard waste and metals, may be disposed at recycling centers for specific items. See list of recyclers.
HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT
Contact the Health Department by phone, email or online. Your name and phone number are kept confidential, but they help ensure we can properly follow-up and investigate. Anonymous complaints may not be investigated.
Please be prepared to provide the following information:
- What is the problem? Describe the type of nuisance and how often it happens
- Where is the problem? Street address or cross streets, plus city and zip code
- What kind of material is involved? What type of garbage or waste?
- How much is there?
CONDITIONS INVESTIGATED BY OTHER AGENCIES
Snohomish County Health Department does not investigate the following types of complaints. Please visit the partners linked below.
- Air quality or burn ban enforcement. Contact the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. Snohomish County and local fire districts issue burning permits.
- Hazardous material spill or release. To report a spill of oil or hazardous materials, contact your local fire department or the Washington State Department of Ecology.
- Junk on property or code violations. Contact your city government or Snohomish County Code Enforcement, depending on where the property is located.
- Pesticide complaints. Complaints related to human health are investigated by Washington State Department of Health. Contact the Washington State Department of Agriculture for complaints involving pesticide use, misuse, drift, damage, storage, and disposal.
- Water quality issues regarding pollution and storm water. Contact Snohomish County Surface Water Management for concerns in unincorporated county or the Washington State Department of Ecology.
- Illegal drug labs. Contact your local law enforcement for concerns regarding illegal drug use and drug labs.
- Cleanup sites. Typical sites in Snohomish County include auto wrecking yards, leaking underground storage tank sites or former bulk fuel storage facilities. Contact Washington State Department of Ecology for complaints regarding contaminated properties.
- Water quality issues from a public drinking water system. To report a drinking water quality issue from a public water system, contact Washington State Department of Health.
- Employee complaints of workplace safety are investigated by the Washington State Department of Labor.
The Snohomish County Health Department partners with the Snohomish County Office of Neighborhoods, Snohomish County Code Enforcement and Snohomish County Human Services to address nuisance properties throughout Snohomish County. Nuisance properties may have, junkyard conditions, dangerous buildings, surfacing sewage, and uncontained waste.
If you are concerned about a property that may have drug or criminal activity, contact the Snohomish County Office of Neighborhoods.
If there is an immediate threat to life or property, call 911.
Q: What will SCHD do about my complaint?
A: Within 7 days of receiving a solid waste complaint, an environmental health specialist will visit the property to investigate and validate if a violation is present. If a solid waste violation is found, the Health Department will begin the enforcement process by issuing a Notice of Violation (NOV) to the owner and/or occupant. Failure to correct the violation will elevate the complaint to the next step in the enforcement process. If after exhausting the enforcement process the violation has still not been corrected, the complaint may be referred to the Prosecuting Attorney's office.
Q: What if I don’t have the address?
A: We have several online tools that can help you locate the exact address or parcel number of the property. Visit our PDS Map Portal, Property Summary Search or use Google Maps to help you determine the location of the alleged violation.
Q: Will my identity be disclosed?
A: Under the Public Records Act, chapter 42.56 RCW, the information provided on a complaint investigation request form is subject to public disclosure. Information revealing the identity of persons who are witnesses to crimes or who file complaints with investigative agencies may be withheld from disclosure under RCW 42.56.240(2) if the complainant indicates a desire for nondisclosure of their identifying information at the time the complaint is made. Complainants select their disclosure option when completing the submitting a new complaint.
Please note, your name must be disclosed if you are identified as a witness in an administrative or court proceeding concerning this matter, or if otherwise required by an administrative or court order.
Q: How do I check the status of my complaint?
A: Due to disclosure laws, we do not send updates to complainants. We may contact complainants to get more information regarding the complaint. You may submit a public records request to see case notes.
Q: I received a complaint against my property. What do I do?
A: If you’ve received a complaint against your property, please contact the environmental health specialist that issued the Notice for details. If they are unavailable, please leave a message.