Water quality

Ecology is responsible for keeping Washington waters clean and helping polluted waters recover.
Ecology is responsible for keeping Washington waters clean and helping polluted waters recover.

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Diving into the data on Washington’s water quality

The Water Quality Assessment has millions of data points on rivers, streams, lakes, and marine waters across Washington state. 

Keeping your septic system on point

SepticSmart Week is an annual event that serves as a great reminder to do a check up on your on-site sewage system if you have one. 

High-quality insects

You can tell a lot about a stream by looking at its bugs. When you see a variety of them living in the muck of a streambed, that’s a strong indicator that a stream is healthy.

Updated stormwater permits support green infrastructure, clean water

The state’s most populated cities and counties now have updated municipal stormwater permits in place.

Changing weather, changing water – it's time to look out for harmful algal blooms

It’s time to watch for harmful algal blooms! The only way to know for sure if toxins are present is through laboratory testing. Read on to learn more.

$386 million in clean water projects planned for Washington

We're proposing to award $386 million in grants and loans for 134 high-priority clean water projects across the state.

New opportunities to improve Washington’s water cleanup program

Update about a settlement that Ecology and EPA are in to review and improve the TMDL program. 

New plan to address bacteria in Whatcom Creek Watershed
Water quality monitoring shows that fecal bacteria are polluting the Whatcom Creek watershed. We've developed a draft plan to get to clean water.
Helping state agencies control fish, invasive animals, and insects
We're currently working to issue the new Aquatic and Invasive Species Control general permit.
Progress on the Voluntary Clean Water Guidance for Agriculture
We have more agriculture guidance chapters drafted for public review. This guidance will help protect water quality.