The Washington state department of ecology (ecology) is reissuing the municipal stormwater general permits (permits) on Monday, July 1, 2024. The permits become effective on August 1, 2024, and expire on July 31, 2029.

Purpose of the Permits: The permits address various legal requirements and responsibilities, and regulate the discharge of pollutants to protect water quality in Washington state. The municipal stormwater general permits provide coverage for municipalities and secondary permittees to develop and implement a stormwater management program to control stormwater runoff into and from their municipal separate storm sewer system (MS4). The permits are a combined national pollutant discharge elimination system and state waste discharge permit that limits the discharge of pollutants to surface waters under the authority of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act (33 U.S.C. 1251) and limits the discharge of pollutants to surface and groundwater under the authority of the State Water Pollution Control Act (chapter 90.48 RCW).

Public Notice Process and Comments: Ecology accepted public comments on the draft permit from August 16, 2023, through November 10, 2023. Ecology held informational public workshops and hearings during this time via online statewide webinars on September 18, 2023, and November 6, 2023. We held in-person workshops and hearings on October 3, 2023, in Moses Lake and October 17, 2023, in Lacey. Ecology received written and emailed comments during the public comment period. The comments and ecology's responses are included on the permit web page at www.ecology.wa.gov/MS4.

Copies of the Permit: The final permits, fact sheet, and response to comments are available online on ecology's municipal stormwater permit web page (above). You may request hard copies from Jackie Lince at jackie.lince@ecy.wa.gov or 360-407-6600.

Applying for Coverage Under the Permit: Stormwater management programs to control stormwater runoff into and from their municipal separate storm sewer system covered under the existing permit that reapplied for permit coverage will be covered under the new permit. New or unpermitted drainage systems from municipal stormwater systems may obtain coverage under the permit by submitting a complete permit application to ecology and satisfying all applicable public notice and State Environmental Policy Act requirements (WAC 173-226-200). The application is available online at https://secureaccess.wa.gov.

Ecology Contact: Abbey Stockwell, Washington State Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47696, Olympia, WA 98504-7696, phone 360-280-2934, email Abbey.Stockwell@ecy.wa.gov.

Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: To request an ADA accommodation, contact ecology by phone at 360-280-2934 or email at Abbey.Stockwell@ecy.wa.gov, or visit https://ecology.wa.gov/accessibility. For relay service or TTY call 711 or 877-833-6341.

Translation: To request this document in another language, please contact ecology by phone at 360-280-2934 and ask for an interpreter, or email Abbey.Stockwell@ecy.wa.gov.

Your Right to Appeal: You have a right to appeal the final general permits and general permit coverage for a specific facility to the pollution control hearings board. The appeal process is governed by chapters 43.21B RCW and 371-08 WAC.


•	Appeals of the general permit issuance must be filed within 30 days of issuance of the general permit. See the Appeal of the General Permit Focus Sheet for more information at https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/documents/1710009.pdf.
•	Appeals of general permit coverage for a specific facility must be filed within 30 days of the effective date of coverage. See the Appeal of a General Permit Coverage Focus Sheet for more information at https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/documents/1710007.pdf.