New or expanding Group B Public Water Systems are required to get approval prior to construction. The approval for all Group B systems are done by the Cowlitz County Health Department, while Group A systems require approval from the Washington State Department of Health.
Cowlitz County Health Department reviews systems with 9 or less connections consisting of a drilled well that:
Do not use a variable speed pump;
Do not provide fire flow;
Do not have special hydraulic considerations;
Do not have atmospheric storage in which the bottom elevation of the storage reservoir is below the ground surface;
Serve fewer than ten service connections
The Washington State Department of Health reviews any system that does not meet the above requirements. A professional engineer is required to submit any design submittals for these types of systems.