Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit
Discharges of excess nutrients — particularly nitrogen — to Puget Sound from public domestic wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are contributing to existing low oxygen levels in Puget Sound and the rest of the Salish Sea. The Clean Water Act and federal rules require WWTPs that contribute to water quality impairments by discharging excess nutrients to take action to prevent this pollution.
The Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit is designed to address excess nutrients from the 58 domestic WWTPs discharging to marine and estuarine water of the Salish Sea in Washington. The Permit focuses only on controlling nutrients and works in conjunction with existing individual permits for facilities.
In February 2025, the Pollution Control Hearings Board (PCHB) invalidated the Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit "insofar as it is mandatory" and remanded the permit back to Ecology for further action. In April 2025 we sent a letter to permittees terminating coverage and describing possible next steps. See the updates section below for more information.
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58 facilities discharge to Puget Sound, seven of those facilities are dominant loaders contributing over 80% of the nutrients. View our web map for more information.
Brief history of the general permit
Developed general permit
We held a public process to decide if we should use a general permit or individual permits to control nutrients. In January 2020, with support, we announced our decision to move forward with developing a draft Nutrient General Permit. During 2020, we worked with the General Permit Advisory Committee to develop recommendations for permit conditions. We held public reviews of a preliminary draft, then in Summer 2021 we developed a formal draft, held another comment period, and finalized the permit in December 2021. Several parties appealed the permit (see Appeals section below).
2025 Permit updates
In February 2025, the Pollution Control Hearings Board (PCHB) invalidated the Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit "insofar as it is mandatory" and remanded the permit back to Ecology for further action. In April 2025, we sent a letter to permittees terminating their coverage and providing an overview of possible next steps.
We still consider the general permit an appropriate tool for our long-term strategy to reduce nitrogen discharges and improve water quality in the Sound. We are starting the process to modify/reissue the permit to offer voluntary coverage for facilities that want to continue under the general permit to address nitrogen reduction requirements. We currently plan to propose minimal edits to the permit through a public process with opportunities to review and provide comments.
For those facilities that do not chose the General Permit, permittees may choose to have their nitrogen reduction requirements addressed in their individual permits. As we update draft individual permits, they will also be available for a formal public comment before final issuance.
More permit information
Tricia Miller
tricia.miller@ecy.wa.gov
206-594-0167
Mail forms to:
Washington State Department of Ecology
Attn: WQ Puget Sound Nutrient Permit Coordinator
Northwest Region Office
PO Box 330316
Shoreline, WA 98133-9716
Carey Cholski
carey.cholski@ecy.wa.gov
360-407-6279
Mail forms to:
Washington State Department of Ecology
Attn: WQ Puget Sound Nutrient Permit Coordinator
Southwest Regional Office
P.O. Box 47775
Olympia WA 98504-7775
Related links
Contact information
William Weaver
Environmental Engineer
william.weaver@ecy.wa.gov
360-870-7424