Winery general permit

Washington is the second-largest wine-producing state in the nation. If not properly managed, corrosive wastewater from wineries can potentially harm aquatic life and even people.

Washington's first Winery General Permit regulates discharges of process wastewater from wineries to land, groundwater, and wastewater treatment plants. No surface water discharges are allowed under this permit.

The permit was issued on May 17, 2018, went into effect on July 1, 2019, and expires on July 1, 2024.

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Find out if I need a permit
See permit guidance and resources
Read the FAQs

Permit documents

Winery General Permit (effective July 1, 2019)
Fact sheet (This is a reference document for the Winery General Permit)
- Addendum 1: Appendix D – Response to Comments
- Addendum 2: Appendix E – Comments
Economic Impact Analysis
SEPA Checklist and Determination of Nonsignificance

Why did we develop a general permit for wineries?

The general permit supports both clean water and a robust wine industry. The new permit establishes wastewater management practices for wineries to prevent pollution and protect Washington waters. If not properly managed, process wastewater from wineries can:

Damage soil and crops.
Kill aquatic life.
Degrade the infrastructure in wastewater treatment plants.
Mobilize metals from the soil into groundwater, which can harm people.

We will continue to work closely with industry and interested people

With the help of the wine industry, stakeholders, and input from the public, we developed a permit that contains good waste management practices for wineries. These practices will help protect groundwater, surface water, and wastewater treatment plants.

Throughout the life of the permit, we will continue to:

Build cooperative relationships with winery owners and operators.
Gain a better understanding of the quantity and quality of wastewater discharges from Washington wineries.
Learn from permittees what practices and tools work best to effectively manage their wastewater.

See our Guidance and Resources section for more information on how we are continuing to work with our stakeholders.

Permit application and resources

Use our decision tree to determine if you need a permit.

You may need coverage under the Winery General Permit if your facility:

Typically discharges more than 53,505 gallons of winery process wastewater in a calendar year (or typically produces more than 7,500 cases in a calendar year); AND
Discharges winery process wastewater to one or more of the following:
- A wastewater treatment plant
- Managed vegetation (irrigation)
- A lagoon or other liquid storage structure
- Road dust abatement
- A subsurface infiltration system
- An infiltration basin

If you need a permit, see the information below under "Apply for permit coverage."

Many answers to common questions can be found on our FAQ page. Also, the Fact sheet that accompanies the permit can be used as a resource to search for a specific topic.

Decision tree
How to choose an accredited laboratory
Criteria for Sewage Works Design, also known as the "Orange Book," contains domestic wastewater treatment design guidance
NRCS Assessment Procedure for Existing Waste Storage Ponds
Winery Wastewater Compliance Workshop recording (mp4, 83 MB), recorded on April 30, 2019
- Compliance workshop presentation (pdf), slides only, no audio
Permit compliance schedule
List of delegated publicly-owned treatment works (POTWs) and Listed wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs)

Existing permittees that have applied for renewed coverage by Jan. 3, 2024 will continue to be covered under the existing Winery General Permit until the new permit is issued.

Renew coverage under the permit by submitting a complete permit application to Ecology as described in the Winery General Permit renewal instructions.

Note: A SEPA checklist and newspaper public notices are not required for renewing existing permits.

Regional contacts

For facilities located in the following counties:

Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, and Yakima counties

Assistance with permit requirements or site-specific questions:

Lucila Cornejo
lucila.cornejo@ecy.wa.gov
509-823-7912

Assistance applying for coverage, finding or completing forms, or drafting public notices:

Monica Martinez
monica.martinez@ecy.wa.gov
509-454-7295

Mail forms to:

Attn: WQ Winery Permit Coordinator
Washington State Department of Ecology
Central Regional Office
1250 West Alder Street
Union Gap, WA 98903-0009

For facilities located in the following counties:

Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties

Assistance with permit requirements or site-specific questions:

Jefferson Davis
jefferson.davis@ecy.wa.gov
509-329-3565

Assistance applying for coverage, finding or completing forms, or drafting public notices:

Jefferson Davis
jefferson.davis@ecy.wa.gov
509-329-3565

Mail forms to:

Attn: WQ Winery Permit Manager
Washington State Department of Ecology
Eastern Regional Office
4601 North Monroe Street Suite 202
Spokane, WA 99205-1295

For facilities located in the following counties:

Island, King, Kitsap, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties

Assistance with permit requirements or site-specific questions:

Steve Hood
steve.hood@ecy.wa.gov
360-255-4396

Assistance applying for coverage, finding or completing forms, or drafting public notices:

Tricia Miller
tricia.miller@ecy.wa.gov
206-594-0167

Mail forms to:

Attn: WQ Winery Permit Coordinator
Washington State Department of Ecology
Northwest Regional Office
PO BOX 330316
Shoreline, WA 98133-9716

For facilities located in the following counties:

Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Skamania, Thurston, or Wahkiakum counties

Contact with permit requirements, or site-specific questions:

Jessica McConnell
jessica.mcconnell @ecy.wa.gov
360-690-4796

For assistance applying for coverage, finding or completing forms, or drafting public notices:

Melinda Wilson
melinda.wilson@ecy.wa.gov
360-407-6280

Mail forms to:

Attn: WQ Winery Permit Coordinator
Washington State Department of Ecology
Southwest Regional Office
300 Desmond Drive
P.O. Box 47775
Olympia, WA 98504-7775

Contact information

Danielle Edelman
Winery Permit Writer
Danielle.Edelman@ecy.wa.gov
360-763-2597

Winery general permit

I want to...

Permit documents

Why did we develop a general permit for wineries?

We will continue to work closely with industry and interested people

Permit application and resources

Regional contacts

For facilities located in the following counties:

Assistance with permit requirements or site-specific questions:

Assistance applying for coverage, finding or completing forms, or drafting public notices:

Mail forms to:

For facilities located in the following counties:

Assistance with permit requirements or site-specific questions:

Assistance applying for coverage, finding or completing forms, or drafting public notices:

Mail forms to:

For facilities located in the following counties:

Assistance with permit requirements or site-specific questions:

Assistance applying for coverage, finding or completing forms, or drafting public notices:

Mail forms to:

For facilities located in the following counties:

Contact with permit requirements, or site-specific questions:

For assistance applying for coverage, finding or completing forms, or drafting public notices:

Mail forms to:

Related links

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