401 Water Quality Certifications for federal facilities

What is a federal facility?

All federal facilities that discharge to a surface water in Washington have a responsibility to prevent water pollution and obtain a discharge permit. By definition, a federal facility is any building or structure that is owned or leased by the United States or a federal agency. Some examples of federal facilities include energy facilities, government buildings, and facilities on federal land such as fish hatcheries.

Who writes the permits?

EPA is responsible for implementing clean water regulations on federal and Tribal lands. Even though EPA writes federal NPDES permits, the conditions of the permit must meet our state water quality standards and other requirements of the state water pollution control act. In many cases, Washington state standards are more protective of water quality than federal standards.

What is our role?

In order to issue 401 water quality certifications, we coordinate with EPA to ensure federal NPDES-permitted facilities are complying with our state standards. Our team works to review and authorize EPA permits according to state water quality standards and the state water pollution control act through the 401 water quality certification process.

Please see our focus sheet on the 401 NPDES process.