Bridge & Ferry Terminal Washing Permit

Due in part to the May 23, 2013, collapse of the Skagit River Bridge, the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and local governments developed a robust schedule to inspect and repair bridges and ferry terminals statewide. Bridges must be washed prior to inspection to help detect cracks and other problems.

To make this important work easier for governments, we developed a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and State Waste Discharge general permit to set guidelines for bridge and ferry terminal washing across the state. This permit applies to discharges from both vehicle and pedestrian bridges, along with vehicle and pedestrian ferry terminals. The permit serves to protect water quality while supporting inspection and maintenance of bridges — and protecting the safety of Washington commuters.

The current permit was issued June 29, 2022, and will expire July 31, 2027.

I want to...

Apply or renew permit coverage
Submit your discharge monitoring reports (DMRs)
View current permit documents

Current permit documents

2022 general permit (effective Aug. 1, 2022)
Fact Sheet for the draft 2022 general permit
- Fact Sheet Appendix E: Response to Comments on the draft

Monitoring guidance documents

Monitoring Protocols for Bridge Maintenance Washing (updated December 2019)
Monitoring Protocols for Ferry Terminal Routine Maintenance

Permit reissuance

The draft permit is now available for review and public comment through 11:59 p.m. Jan. 23, 2026. A formal announcement was published in the Washington State Register on Dec. 3, 2025. We also published a blog with some highlights of the proposed changes to the permit.

Draft Permit
- Redline version of the draft permit
Fact Sheet for the Draft Permit
Draft Notice of Intent
State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) documents – will be available on the SEPA register

Public involvement

Submitting Comments

We are accepting comments on the draft permit from 9 a.m. Dec. 3, 2025, through 11:59 p.m. Jan. 23, 2026. Comments should reference specific permit text when possible.

You can submit comments in the following ways:

Submit comments online (preferred method)
By U.S. mail (postmarked by Jan. 23, 2026)
James Hovis
WA Department of Ecology
PO Box 47696
Olympia, WA 98504-7696
At one of our hearings

Public Meetings and Hearings

We will host two online public meetings in early January – one in the afternoon and the second during the evening. We will share an informational presentation to explain the proposed changes in the draft permit. A question-and-answer session will follow, then a formal public hearing. The public hearing is an opportunity for formal spoken testimony on the draft permit. It will end when the testimony is done. Spoken testimony will receive the same consideration as written comments.

Afternoon Public Meeting and Hearing
Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2025, 2 p.m.
Register for the afternoon meeting
Evening Public Meeting and Hearing
Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2025, 5:30 p.m.
Register for the evening meeting

Next steps

We will review and consider all comments received. Public comments may result in revisions, or adjustments, to the draft permit. An official Response to Comments will be published as an appendix to the fact sheet. We expect to make a final decision on permit issuance in summer 2026.

Anticipated timeline

Dec. 3, 2025, – Jan. 23, 2026: Formal public comment period on the draft permit
January 6 & 7, 2026: Public meetings and hearings
Summer 2026: Decision on reissuance

Historical permit documents

2017 general permit (June 21, 2017 - July 31, 2022)

Permit (expired July 31, 2022)
Fact Sheefor the 2017 draft general permit
- Fact Sheet Appendix E: Response to Comments on the draft

New permit application

We accept electronic permit applications for one or more structures under the Bridge and Ferry Terminal Washing General Permit. To submit an electronic permit application, also known as a Notice of Intent (NOI), through the WQWebPortal:

Sign up for a SecureAccess Washington (SAW) account. SecureAccess Washington or SAW is the state of Washington’s secure portal to access and submit applications.
Add the WQWebPortal Service to your SAW account to apply for coverage.
Submit a Bridge Washing General Permit NOI to Ecology, for either a single or multiple structures, using these eNOI Application Instructions. Paper NOI forms are no longer accepted.

Step 1: Go to Permit Coverage — Notice of Intent (NOI)

Click on https://secureaccess.wa.gov/ecy/wqwebportal.
Under My Services, go to Water Quality Permitting Portal (WQWebPortal).
In the box that says Apply for Coverage, click on NOI: General Permit Coverage – Renewal – Notice of Intent.

Step 2: Click on New next to the Bridge & Ferry Terminal Washing General Permit

On the Notice of Intent (NOI) webpage click on New next to the Bridge & Ferry Terminal Washing General Permit.
If you are completing an existing electronic application, click on Search my existing Notice of Intent (NOI) applications.

Step 3: Fill out and sign your application

Fill out your entire application by completing all of the tabs.
When you are done click the Save and Continue button.
Attach any necessary information. Once files are attached click on Save and Continue.
Sign the form by either of the following methods:
- Use your electronic signature if you have an NOI signature on file (see instructions below on how to set up your electronic signature account).
- Use the Print and Sign option. Print the form, have the person in your organization with legal authority sign it, and mail it to the address on the signature page.

Set-up your electronic signature account

You will need to create an electronic signature account in order to submit annual reports online and to sign documents online. Please make sure to review these instructions to create your electronic signature account. You must create an electronic signature account and mail-in your electronic signature agreement form (ESAF) to Ecology. Once we approve your ESAF, you will have access to your permit coverage information and be able to sign and submit documents online, including your annual reports that are all due by February 28th of each year.

Renew permit coverage (reapply)

Please reapply for coverage by March 27, 2026.

Notice of Intent (online permit renewal application, will require a SAW account sign in)
Instructions for renewal (pdf) PDF of instructions with WQWebPortal screen shots

To expedite application processing, after you apply online please scan or take a photo of all permit forms and email them to our resource mailbox at: ecyrewqianoi@ecy.wa.gov. Also, you must mail the original, signed documents to:

Attn: WQ Permit
Washington State Department of Ecology
PO Box 47696
Olympia, WA 98504-7696

We are currently emailing all coverage documents and permit related information to the legal responsible party on file. Please ensure that this information remains up to date.

If you have any questions, contact the staff listed in the Contact information box below.

Facilities with an NPDES or a State Waste Discharge permit are required to monitor the discharge from their facilities and to submit reports to us about this discharge.

These reports, known as Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs), include information about the quantity of pollutants released into the environment. The report requirements differ by permit type and receiving water body.

Go to https://secureaccess.wa.gov/ecy/wqwebportal.
Click on the Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) link on the right side of the portal home page to submit data.
Under my permits select your permit and follow the prompts.

For detailed instructions on how to submit discharge monitoring reports for bridge and ferry terminal washing annual reports, review these instructions.

Contact information

Questions about the permit and implementation:

James Hovis
Water Quality General Permit Writer
james.hovis@ecy.wa.gov
564-999-3244

Foroozan Labib
Water Quality General Permit Writer
foroozan.labib@ecy.wa.gov
564-669-4292

For assistance with applications, transfers, termination, and WQWebPortal:

General Permit Administrator
wqgpunit@ecy.wa.gov
564-233-9135