Clark County, Washington, is in a different state with its own rules. Portland's forms, Oregon's septage programme and Oregon's DEQ requirements do not apply on the Washington side, and this site does not set out the Washington rules, so each spot is checked with its own local office.
Key takeaways
- Portland's permit forms and Oregon's septage rules are not carried across the Columbia.
- Each Clark County town is a separate jurisdiction, and the one that applies is named by the office for the spot's address.
- The Washington septage and event rules have not been researched for this site, so they are not stated here.
- A delivery across the river needs its window set for the crossing and the approach roads, with a backup.
- Every answer from the local office and the operator goes in writing, with the order.
- The nearest town is not necessarily the one whose rules apply. The address decides it.
Why Oregon's forms do not carry across the river
Clark County is in Washington, with its own state rules. A permit, form or septage requirement written for Portland or Oregon is a document for that jurisdiction, and it does not settle a job on the Washington side.
A customer who carries a Portland ratio or a City form across the river is applying another state's paper to a job that sits under different rules. The ratio may look familiar, but the authority behind it is not the one that governs the spot.
The Washington-side towns on this site are Vancouver, Camas, Brush Prairie, Washougal and Ridgefield. Each is a separate jurisdiction, and the one that applies to a given spot is the one the local office names, not the one that sits nearest the river.
This site has not researched the Washington septage or event rules, so it does not state them. The safe course is to ask the local office and the operator for the Washington requirement, in writing, before the plan is drawn.
The crossing and the delivery window
A delivery from a depot on one side of the Columbia to a site on the other adds a crossing to the route. The window should be set for the crossing and any congestion at the approaches, not for the miles on a map.
Crossing the Columbia changes the route and the time. A truck that makes a delivery in a short window on one side may need a longer window to reach the other side, and the window should be set with the crossing and the approach roads in mind.
Ask the provider which delivery window the quote assumes for the crossing, and what happens if the crossing is slow. A quote that gives a distance but no window does not show the time that matters on the day.
Set a backup window for a crossing delivery, and name the person at the Washington-side spot who can confirm the access point. The crew should not have to find the spot unaided.
The Clark County towns, one by one
The Clark County towns sit at different distances from downtown Portland and in different settings: a county seat, a city east of it on the river, a city north of the seat and an unincorporated community. The plan starts with each town's own office.
Vancouver is the Clark County seat, across the Columbia from Portland, on ZIP codes 98660 through 98687. Measured in a straight line from downtown Portland it is about 16.4 km away. Its size means the access, the spot and the permit office should be confirmed for the specific address before an order is placed.
Camas is a city east of Vancouver on ZIP 98607, about 22.9 km from downtown Portland in a straight line. Washougal sits on the Columbia further east, on ZIP 98671, at about 30 km. Each has its own approach, so the window is checked for the address rather than the town.
Ridgefield is a city north of Vancouver on ZIP 98642, about 30 km from downtown Portland. Brush Prairie is an unincorporated community in the county on ZIP 98606, about 28.3 km away. Neither should be grouped with Vancouver by default, because each is a separate delivery with its own access and its own office.
What is not yet known, and a checklist before a Clark County order
Three things are open on the Washington side: the septage requirement for the pumping, the event rules for any public or stationary placement, and the local permit for the spot. Each is answered by the local office before the order is placed.
Confirm the spot's jurisdiction by its address, not by the town name on a mailing label. A jurisdiction is a property of the spot, and a town name can be a poor guide to it.
Ask the local office whether a unit may stand on the spot, and whether a permit is required for it and in what form.
Ask the operator which Washington requirements apply to pumping and hauling the waste, and which facility receives it, with the facility's name written on the order.
Set the delivery window for the crossing and the approach roads, with a backup window agreed in advance.
Put every answer in writing and keep it with the order, so the crew and the customer work from the same terms.
How to read a quote for a Clark County job
A quote for a Washington-side spot should show the count, the days, the crossing, the window, the servicing visits and the location of the facility that receives the waste. A quote missing any of those is not yet complete.
Check that the quote names the spot's jurisdiction, or at least the address the local office will be asked about. A quote that describes only the town invites the question of which rules apply, and that question is the one the quote should answer.
Check that the crossing is written as a line in the window, not hidden in the delivery charge. A quote that shows the crossing as a separate time element lets the customer see the cost of the window as well as the distance.
Check that the servicing visits are written with their days, and that the waste's destination is named by the operator. The destination is the answer to the question of where the waste goes, and it should be on the page before the order.
Repeat orders and changes across the river
A repeat order for a Clark County site should be checked again, even when the spot and the crew are the same, because a change of office, operator or facility changes the terms that apply.
Before a repeat order, ask whether the operator, the facility or the permit terms have changed since the last one. A pumping contract that was correct last season may have a different facility name this season.
Keep the written terms of each order with the order itself, so that a later order can be compared against them. A change of spot, even on the same site, can change the local office that applies, and that should be checked.
Ask the local office, when a permit is renewed or a spot is changed, whether the terms in force are the same as before. The answer should be written, and kept with the order.
Who answers for what, across the river
On a Clark County order the customer answers for the spot, the access and the permission from the owner or the local office. The provider answers for the unit, its placement, its servicing and the operator's own permits. Each side should be able to show its part in writing.
The customer holds the spot. That means confirming that the owner or manager of the site agrees to the unit standing there, and that any local permission for the spot is in hand. The customer should not expect the provider to obtain the owner's consent or the local office's answer on the customer's behalf.
The provider holds the unit. That means delivering it to the agreed spot in the agreed window, placing it on the agreed base, servicing it on the agreed days and collecting it when the order ends. It also means the operator who pumps the waste holds the permits that apply to that pumping, and says where the waste goes.
Where the two meet is the access point and the window. A delivery that arrives at a gate the customer has not opened is a delivery that waits, and a customer who has not named an access point has left the crew guessing. Write the access point and the contact who will meet the truck on the order, and confirm both the day before.
This site does not state which permits apply on the Washington side, and it does not state that any operator holds them. The division of labor is the one a customer should expect, and each part of it should be written down and checked, not assumed.
Frequently asked questions
Do the Portland permit rules apply in Vancouver?
No. Portland's permit and septage rules are for the City of Portland and for Oregon. The Washington side has its own rules, which this site does not set out. Ask the local office for the spot.
Is there a delivery across the river?
Yes, a delivery can cross the Columbia. The window should be set for the crossing and the approach roads, and a backup window should be agreed in advance.
Has Washington's septage rule been checked?
No. This site has not searched or confirmed the Washington septage or event rules. Ask the local office and the operator for the requirement in writing.
Which town should be asked about first?
The one that matches the spot's address and jurisdiction, not the nearest town. Confirm the address first, because a mailing name does not always match the jurisdiction.
Sources
This guide is general information for Multnomah County homeowners, not a substitute for an on-site inspection. Prices are estimates. See our disclaimer.