State Wastewater Discharge Permit – Industrial to Publicly-Owned Works (POTW)
What is the purpose of this permit?
State waste discharge permits prevent the upset of wastewater treatment systems by limiting the discharge of pollutants. For more information see Ecology’s webpage on wastewater discharge permits in Washington
https://ecology.wa.gov/Water-Shorelines/Water-quality/Water-quality-permits Some local authorities issue these permits. See the notes/comments section at the bottom of this entry to find out what agency issues your permit.
Who issues this permit?
Variable: See notes/comments for more information.
What activities require this permit?
Industrial facilities that discharge wastewater to privately or publicly-owned wastewater treatment plants must obtain a state waste discharge permit unless it has obtained a pretreatment discharge permit issued by a delegated municipality.
How much will this permit cost?
Fees are determined according to chapter 173-224 WAC at https://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=173-224 If your permit is issued by an agency other than Ecology, contact the agency directly for fees (see notes/comments).
Where can I get the application for this permit?
The application is called '
State Application - Industrial Wastewater to Municipal (Form 040-177)' is online and can be accessed at
https://ecology.wa.gov/Water-Shorelines/Water-quality/Water-quality-permits/Water-Quality-individual-permits#forms.
Do I need to include anything with my application?
If Ecology issues your permit, the application may require more information on wastewater flows, treatment, diagrams, and test results. Ecology may also request more information during application review.
Is the decision on my permit dependent on anything besides the information in my application?
When making the decision on your order/permit, Ecology will consider the applicable laws and rules, the contents of your application, and the background environmental conditions.
In addition, the permitting process includes public review. This means that the public may submit comments to Ecology during the 30 day public comment period to support or oppose your proposed activity. If any comments are received, Ecology must review and respond to the comments and take them into consideration when making the decision to issue or deny permit coverage.
How long will it take to review my application?
Any person not exempt under
WAC 173-216-050, who proposes to discharge waste materials into waters of the state or into a municipal sewerage system, must file an application with the department at least 60 days prior to discharging, or in the case of an expiring permit, at least 60 days prior to the expiration of the permit. See
WAC 173-216-070(1). See the Permit Timeliness Results above for average processing times.
Where do I submit my application?
If your permit is issued by Ecology: Contact the permit coordinator in your region at
https://ecology.wa.gov/Water-Shorelines/Water-quality/Water-quality-permits.
Schematic:
View the
schematic ![]()
How long is my permit valid?
Permits are typically valid for five years.
What is the appeal process for the permit?
If your permit is issued by Ecology: You have a right to appeal this permit coverage to the Pollution Control Hearings Board (PCHB) within 30 days of the date of receipt of your decision. This appeal is limited to the general permit's applicability or non-applicability to an individual discharger (
WAC 173-226-190(2)). The appeal process is governed by
Chapter 43.21B RCW and
Chapter 371-08 WAC. "Date of receipt" is defined in
RCW 43.21B.001(2). To appeal, you must do the following within 30 days of the date of receipt of notice of coverage:
- File your appeal and a copy of the permit cover page with the PCHB (see addresses below). Filing means actual receipt by the PCHB during regular business hours.
- Serve a copy of your appeal and the permit cover page on Ecology in paper form - by mail or in person (see addresses below). E-mail is not accepted.
You must also comply with other applicable requirements in
Chapter 43.21B RCW and
Chapter 371-08 WAC.
Mailing Addresses: Pollution Control Hearings Board PO Box 40903 Olympia, WA 98504-0903 Department of Ecology Attn: Appeals Processing Desk PO Box 47608 Olympia, WA 98504-7608
Physical Addresses: Pollution Control Hearings Board (PCHB) 1111 Israel Road SW, Suite 301 Tumwater, WA 98501 Department of Ecology Attn: Appeals Processing Desk 300 Desmond Drive SE Lacey, WA 98503
Notes / Comments:
Ecology oversees the approved pretreatment programs of municipalities that have been delegated pretreatment program authority. Ten Washington municipalities have approved publically owned treatment works (POTW) pretreatment programs and have been delegated pretreatment authority. These include:
Everett
3200 Cedar St. Everett, WA 98201
Ryan Wichert, (425) 257-8240
www.everettwa.gov | Richland
505 Swift Blvd. MS-27, Richland, WA 99352
Toby Billings, (509) 942-7485
Richland Pretreatment |
LOTT
500 Adams Street NE, Olympia, WA 98501-6911
Julie Dufresne, (360) 664-2333
LOTT Pretreatment | Spokane County
1026 W. Broadway Avenue, 4th Floor, Spokane, WA 99260
Stela Matei-Rowley, (509) 477-7177
SMatei@spokanecounty.org |
Lynnwood
20816 44th Ave W. Ste. 230 Lynnwood, WA 98104
Jacob Bradley, (425) 670-5221
www.lynnwoodwa.gov | Spokane City
4401 N. Aubrey L. White Pkwy. Spokane, WA 99205
Angela Tagnani, (509) 625-4620
atagnani@spokancity.org |
Metro / King Co.
201 S. Jackson Street, Suite 513, Seattle WA 98104
Dana Heinz, (206) 477-5300
KCIW (with map) | Tacoma
2201 Portland Ave, P-1, Tacoma, WA 98421
Cassie Petty, (253) 502-2239
Tacoma Pretreatment |
Pasco
1015 S. Grey, Pasco, WA 99301
Heath Bateman, (509) 544-3078
hartmanh@pasco-wa.gov | Vancouver
PO Box 1995, Vancouver, WA 98668-1995
Kevin Smithline, (360) 487-7177
Vancouver Pretreatment |
Pierce County
930 Tacoma Avenue S. Tacoma, WA 98402
River Wan, (253) 798-3002
Pierce County Pretreatment | Walla Walla
572 Hatch Street, Walla Walla, WA 99362
Dara Osborne, (509) 524-4588
dara.osborne@ch2m.com |
Port Angeles
321 E. 5th Street, Port Angeles, WA 98362
David Freed, (360) 417-4692
Port Angeles Pretreatment | Yakima
2220 E. Viola Ave., Yakima, WA 98901
Mike Price, (509) 249-6815
Yakima Pretreatment |
Quincy
P.O. Box 1249 Quincy, WA 98848
Samuel Snead, (509) 855-3360
ssnead@woodardcurran.com | |
This means that in these areas, the local authority will issue the permit. Where Ecology does not delegate full responsibility to implement the pretreatment program, Ecology will issue permits to users
Permit Timeliness Results
Permit Timeliness data collection is in response to a State Auditor’s Performance Audit and RCW 43.42A. Each regulatory agency developed a plan to improve permit clarity, predictability, and timeliness. Each agency considers the customers experience to ensure permit assistance is simple to use, easy to access, and designed in a customer-friendly manner. Agencies report progress to the Governor’s Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance (ORIA). ORIA prepares and distributes reports, with participation from the State Auditor’s Office and Results Washington. See latest report here: https://www.oria.wa.gov/ORIA-2020-PermitTimelinessProgressReport.pdf.
All permits submitted for reporting were entered into this Regulatory Handbook. Here are the results of the performance data:
Estimated Time Required By the Agency to Process a Permit Application (Definition)Average number of days from Receipt to Complete: 494Maximum number of days from Receipt to Complete: 494Estimated Time Required By the Agency to Issue a Permit Decision (Definition)Average number of days from Complete Application to Decision: 36Maximum number of days from Complete Application to Decision: 36(Summary results based on 1 submittals in 2017, no data for current year)
Statewide Contact:
Department of Ecology
Headquarters
300 Desmond Drive
PO Box 47600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600
Telephone: (360) 407-6000
Website: http://www.ecology.wa.gov/
* Permit information last updated 8/21/2023