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NPDES permits are issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) under authority delegated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate discharge of pollutants into state waters. The permits, which usually have a five-year effective date, typically place limits on the quantity and concentration of pollutants being discharged. Ecology may reissue or extend NPDES permits. Permits may receive an extended but not reissued status if an application to reissue a permit has been filed.
Based on Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifications, the size of a facility is defined as either being major or minor with one million gallons per day (MGD) being the separation point. NPDES permits are required for three categories including 1) wastewater discharges to surface water from industrial facilities or municipal sewage treatment plants; 2) stormwater discharges from industrial facilities and construction sites five acres or greater; and 3) stormwater discharges from municipal storm sewer systems serving populations of 100,000 or greater.
Wastewater discharges to surface water from industrial facilities or municipal sewage treatment plants are considered point source discharges into surface waters and can be permitted as an individual facility or with other similar facilities under a general permit. Detailed information about these permits can be found in the Federal Clean Water Act as Amended, Chapters 90.48 RCW, Chapter 173-224 WAC (fees), and Chapter 173-226 WAC (general permits).
Individual Permit: An individual permit can be issued to specific facilities. The application for an individual permit requires information about water supply volumes, water use, wastewater flow, characteristics and disposal methods, planned improvements, stormwater treatment, plant operation, materials used, production, and other relevant information. The processing time for individual permits is between 180 days to one year, dependent on the operation.
General Permit: A general permit covers several facilities that have similar discharges, pollution control methods, and regulatory requirements. The main categories covered by general permits are fish hatcheries, fruit packers, boatyards, dairy farms, and sand and gravel operations. Application requirements and processing time are not as complex for general permits as individual permits.
Industrial facilities and construction sites five acres or greater are required to obtain permits for stormwater discharges. Detailed information about these permits can be found in the Federal Clean Water Act as Amended, Chapters 90.48 RCW, Chapter 173-224 WAC (fees), and Chapter 173-226 WAC (general permits).
Industrial Facilities: Industrial facilities that discharge stormwater to surface waters or a storm sewer are required to obtain the NPDES and State Waste Discharge Baseline General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Industrial Activities (General Industrial Stormwater Permit). Applications consist of a Notice of Intent for Industrial Activity, which is generally processed within 30 days of receipt. A Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan must be developed which includes best management practices to prevent surface water and groundwater pollution.
Construction Sites: Construction sites that cover an area of five or more acres must obtain the Baseline General Permit for Storm Water Discharges Associated with Industrial Activities. The applicant must also complete a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan, meet SEPA requirements, and meet public notice requirements.
Municipal storm sewer systems (systems transporting only stormwater) that serve a population of 100,000 or more are required to have permits for their stormwater discharge. There is a two-part application for these systems. Detailed information about these permits can be found in the Federal Clean Water Act as Amended, Chapters 90.48 RCW, Chapter 173-224 WAC (fees), and Chapter 173-226 WAC (general permits).
Part 1 of the application requires identification of the source and character of the stormwater discharges and documentation of the current stormwater discharges.
Part 2 of the application requires a proposal for a comprehensive program with measures to control the discharge of the identified pollutants. Municipalities must develop a proposal for future management and monitoring. Washington State municipalities will be covered under a general permit issued for a watershed area.
State Waste Discharge (SWD) Permit
SWD permits, which regulate waste discharge into ground water and municipal sanitary sewer systems, differ from NPDES permits, which regulate discharges directly to water or non-sanitary sewers (stormwater systems). SWD permits place limits on the type and amount of discharged contaminants. To meet these limits, treatment of the wastewater or other operational procedures are required by the permit. Information required by the permit application includes water supply volumes and water use; wastewater flow, characteristics, and disposal methods; planned improvements; stormwater treatment, plant operation, materials and chemicals used, and production; and other relevant information.
The process for issuing a SWD permit includes filing the application, public notice of the application, and public notice of the draft permit. Permits are generally issued 90 to 180 days after the Department of Ecology receives the completed application. Sixty days after the application is formally accepted by the Department of Ecology, the state permit application will become a temporary permit. SWD permits regulate 1) the discharge or disposal of industrial, commercial, or municipal waste material into the state's ground waters; 2) the discharge or disposal of industrial or commercial wastes into municipal sanitary sewer systems; and 3) the use of reclaimed water from sewage treatment plants.
A SWD permit is required for the discharge or disposal of industrial or commercial wastes into municipal sanitary sewer systems or Publicly Owned Treatment Water (State to POTW). Detailed information about these permits can be found in Chapters 90.48; 90.52; 90.54 RCW and Chapters 173-216; 173-994 WAC.
The use of water reclaimed from sewage treatment plants is regulated by Health and Ecology through waste discharge permits. Reclaimed water may be used for land application or commercial and industrial uses (State to Land). Depending on the proposed use of the reclaimed water, the use may either require a new permit or modification to an existing waste discharge permit. Detailed information about these permits can be found in Chapters 90.46; 90.48; 43.20 RCW and Chapters 173-216, 173-224, 246-271 WAC.
On-Site Sewage Disposal Permit (Septic Systems)
Whatcom
County Health Department reviews and issues permits for on-site sewage systems
with design flows that are less than 3,500 gallons per day.
The State Department of Health is responsible for on-site systems with
design flows that are between 3,500 and 14,500 gallons per day.
Local health departments can be responsible for the large systems through
a contractual agreement with the State Department of Health.
The Department of Ecology reviews plans for on-site systems larger than
14,500 gallons per day, systems with state or federal grants through the Clean
Water Act, and systems with mechanical treatment or lagoons with design flows
over 3,500 gallons per day.
Solid Waste Handling Facility Permit
Solid Waste Handling Facility permits are issued annually by Whatcom County Health Department for several types of facilities which store over 2000 cubic yards of solid waste at any time. A solid waste handling facility may manage, store, collect, transport, treat, utilize, process or serve as the final disposal site of solid wastes. The defined facility types are described below. For more detailed information about regulations for each type of facility see Chapter 173-340 WAC.
Recycling Facilities are facilities that recycle waste or utilize solid waste on the land. This includes but is not limited to non-containerized composting in piles; useage of sewage sludge, septage and other organic wastes on land; and accumulation of wastes in piles for recycling or use.
Woodwaste Landfills are landfills which collect solid waste consisting of wood pieces or particles generated as a by-product or waste from the manufacturing of wood products, handling and storage of raw materials and trees and stumps. This includes but is not limited to sawdust, chips, shavings, bark, pulp, hog fuel, and log sort yard waste, but does not include wood pieces or particles containing chemical preservatives such as creosote, pentachlorophenol, or copper-chrome-arsenate.
Transfer Stations are permanent, fixed, supplemental collection and transportation facilities, used by persons and route collection vehicles to deposit collected solid waste from off-site into a larger transfer vehicle for transport to a solid waste handling facility. These may also include recycling facilities.
Surface Impoundments are facilities or parts of facilities which are natural topographic depressions, man-made excavations, or diked areas formed primarily of earthen materials (although they may be lined with man-made materials), and which are designed to hold an accumulation of liquids or sludges. This includes holding, storage, settling, and aeration pits, ponds, or lagoons, but does not include injection wells.
Limited Purpose Landfills are landfills that receive solid waste of limited types, known and consistent composition, other than wood wastes, garbage, inert waste, and demolition waste.
Demolition/Inert Landfills are landfills that collect solid waste, primarily inert waste, resulting from the demolition or razing of buildings, roads and other man-made structures. Demolition waste consists of, but is not limited to, concrete, brick, bituminous concrete, wood and masonry, composition roofing and roofing paper, steel, and minor amounts of other metals like copper. Plaster (i.e., sheet rock or plaster board) or any other material, other than wood, that is likely to produce gases or a leachate during the decomposition process and asbestos wastes are not considered to be demolition waste. Inert wastes are noncombustible, non-dangerous solid wastes that are likely to retain their physical and chemical structure under expected conditions of disposal.
General Disposal Facilities
Piles are any non-containerized accumulations of solid waste that are used for treatment or storage.
Drop Box Facilities are facilities used for the placement of detachable containers including the adjacent area for necessary entrance and exit roads, unloading, and turn-around areas. Drop box facilities generally serve the general public with loose loads and receive waste from off-site.
Incineration Facilities are facilities that reduce the volume of solid wastes using controlled flame combustion in an enclosed device.
Sludge Application Facilities apply sludge (a semisolid substance consisting of settled sewage solids combined with varying amounts of water and dissolved materials generated from a wastewater treatment plant or other source) to land.
Solid waste handling facility permits require an application that includes completion of the environmental checklist as required by the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). Applications are reviewed by the Department of Ecology (WAC 173) and the Whatcom County Health Department. A public hearing is held to review the application after 10 days of public notice. The hearing is open to both oral and written public comments. The Department of Ecology comments must be addressed before a permit can be issued. If there are no comments from the Department of Ecology, the decision on the permit is made within 30 days. Some permits require environmental monitoring which is conducted by the facility. In addition, these facilities have quarterly inspections by the County Health Department. Facilities that are not required to conduct environmental monitoring are inspected t