Chapter 173-224 WAC – Water Quality Permit Fees

On Aug. 7, 2024, Ecology began a rulemaking to amend Chapter 173-224 WAC – Water Quality Permit Fees. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a permit fee system for state waste discharge and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by Ecology pursuant to RCW 90.48.160, 90.48.162, or 90.48.260

Chapter 173-224 WAC implements RCW 90.48.465 that requires Ecology to establish, by rule, annual fees to recover the cost of administering the wastewater and stormwater permit programs. The rule amendment considers the economic impact on small discharges and public entities, and provides appropriate adjustments where applicable.

Rulemaking timeline

Timeline

Announcement phase (CR-101)

Filing date:
Aug. 7, 2024


Announcement documents

Rule development phase

Aug. 7, 2024 - Spring 2025

Public input & involvement

We are hosting an online session to learn from community members about environmental justice considerations that may be connected to this rule. This is not a formal public hearing, we will not be recording testimony. We will schedule a formal public hearing later in the rule process.

Ecology will provide a brief presentation on the purpose and function of the rule and will seek feedback from participants.

We are particularly interested in hearing from:

  • People who are not usually involved with Ecology’s work.
  • Community members who are directly affected by this topic.
  • Individuals who are especially vulnerable to pollution risks in the water.
  • Those who consume fish or drink untreated water from local sources.

Register for the session

The listening session will be held via Zoom on:
Monday, Oct. 21, 2024, 10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Register for the session

Additional languages

Español (Spanish) 中文 (Chinese) Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese) 한국어 (Korean)

Accessibility

To request ADA accommodation for disabilities, or printed materials in a format for the visually impaired, contact Ecology's ADA Coordinator by email at ecyadacoordinator@ecy.wa.gov, or call 360-407-6831. People with impaired hearing may call Washington Relay Service at 711. People with speech disability may call TTY at 877-833-6341.