DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY

[Order 24-05—Filed March 27, 2025, 7:53 a.m.]

Preproposal statement of inquiry was filed as WSR 24-16-140.

Title of Rule and Other Identifying Information: Chapter 173-224 WAC, Water quality permit fees. The purpose of this chapter is to establish a fee system for state waste discharge and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits issued by the department of ecology (ecology) pursuant to RCW 90.48.160, 90.48.162, or 90.48.260.

For more information on this rule making, visit https://ecology.wa.gov/regulations-permits/laws-rules-rulemaking/rulemaking/wac-173-224.

Hearing Location(s): On May 12, 2025, at 5:30 p.m. PST, online hearing at https://waecy-wa-gov.zoom.us/meeting/register/hzZppxZeSDeZHhMCQQpsKA; and

On May 13, 2023 [2025], at 1:00 p.m. PST, online hearing at https://waecy-wa-gov.zoom.us/meeting/register/WaW1XjcLQN-FNhIR8AwT3A. Ecology is hosting these events and will provide presentations about the proposed rules, question-and-answer sessions, and the formal hearings. You can attend from any computer using internet access.

Date of Intended Adoption: June 30, 2025.

Submit Written Comments to: Matthew Tietjen, Department of Ecology, Water Quality Permit Fee Unit, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600; or send parcel delivery services to Department of Ecology, Water Quality Permit Fee Unit, 300 Desmond Drive S.E., Lacey, WA 98503, email wqfeeunit@ecy.wa.gov, online https://ecology.wa.gov/regulations-permits/laws-rules-rulemaking/rulemaking/wac-173-224, March 27, 2025, 12:00 a.m., to May 20, 2025, 11:59 p.m.

Assistance for Persons with Disabilities: Contact Matthew Tietjen, phone 360-280-3697, speech disability may call TTY at 877-833-6341, impaired hearing may call Washington relay service at 711, email wqfeeunit@ecy.wa.gov, https://ecology.wa.gov/About-us/Accessibility-equity/Accessibility/Request-for-reasonable-accommodation, by April 26, 2025.

Purpose of the Proposal and Its Anticipated Effects, Including Any Changes in Existing Rules: 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. This proposed rule amendment considers the economic impact on small dischargers and public entities, and provides appropriate adjustments where applicable.

Following is a brief explanation of the specific sections in chapter 173-224 WAC that will be updated for this rule making: WAC 173-224-015 Purpose, updated to reflect fiscal year (FY) 2026 and FY 2027 fee periods. WAC 173-224-030 Definitions, updated to align with current water quality permit terminology and to reflect changes in the permit fee schedule. WAC 173-224-040 Permit fee schedule, adjusts fees to reflect an increase in fees for permit fee categories and changes to certain fee subcategories; adjustments include the concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) and ore mining permit fee categories; increases minimum permit fees; replaces existing inactive fee rate with new reduced permit fee rate; and technical corrections. WAC 173-224-090 Permit fee reductions, updated the amount of the extreme hardship reduction.

Reasons Supporting Proposal: RCW 90.48.465 requires ecology to establish annual fees that fund our water quality permit programs. Ecology is proposing to amend chapter 173-224 WAC, Water quality permit fees, to recover the program costs and move closer to payment equity between permit fee categories. Ecology uses these fees to recover program expenses from managing permits to protect Washington's waters from pollution.

This rule amendment allows ecology to continue recovering expenses in operating and managing the permit programs. Ecology is proposing to adjust permit fees for FY 2026 and 2027 to recover the projected program costs next biennium and move closer to payment equity between permit fee categories. We are also amending rule language changes to improve clarity, reduce redundancy, and streamline information. Finally, we are proposing new permit fee categories, changes to structure of specific permit fee categories, and adjustment of some permit fees to account for increased costs and equity between permit fee categories.

Statutory Authority for Adoption: Chapter 90.48 RCW, Water pollution control; RCW 90.48.465 Water discharge fees—Report to the legislature.

Statute Being Implemented: RCW 90.48.465.

Rule is not necessitated by federal law, federal or state court decision.

Name of Proponent: Department of ecology, governmental.

Name of Agency Personnel Responsible for Drafting, Implementation, and Enforcement: Ligeia Heagy, 300 Desmond Drive S.E., Lacey, WA 98503, 360-280-3697.

A school district fiscal impact statement is not required under RCW 28A.305.135.

A cost-benefit analysis is required under RCW 34.05.328. A preliminary cost-benefit analysis may be obtained by contacting Matthew Tietjen, Department of Ecology, Water Quality Program, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600, phone 360-280-3697, speech disability may call TTY at 877-833-6341, impaired hearing may call Washington relay service at 711, email wqfeeunit@ecy.wa.gov.

This rule proposal, or portions of the proposal, is exempt from requirements of the Regulatory Fairness Act because the proposal:

Is exempt under RCW 19.85.025(3) as the rules only correct typographical errors, make address or name changes, or clarify language of a rule without changing its effect; and rule content is explicitly and specifically dictated by statute.

Scope of exemption for rule proposal:

Is partially exempt:

Explanation of partial exemptions: Ecology baselines are typically complex, consisting of multiple requirements fully or partially specified by existing rules, statutes, or federal laws. Where the proposed rule differs from this baseline of existing requirements, it is typically subject to (i.e., not exempt from) analysis required under the Regulatory Fairness Act (RFA), chapter 19.85 RCW, based on meeting criteria referenced in RCW 19.85.025(3) as defined by the Administrative Procedure Act in RCW 34.05.310. The small business economic impact statement (SBEIS) below includes a summary of the baseline for this rule making, and whether or how the proposed rule differs from the baseline.

The proposed rule does impose more-than-minor costs on businesses.

This SBEIS presents the:

A small business is defined by RFA as having 50 or fewer employees. Estimated costs are determined as compared to the existing regulatory environment, the regulations in the absence of the rule. The SBEIS only considers costs to "businesses in an industry" in Washington state. This means that impacts, for this document, are not evaluated for government agencies.

The existing regulatory environment is called the "baseline" in this document. It includes only existing laws and rules at federal and state levels.


•	Compliance requirements of the proposed rule.
•	Results of the analysis of relative compliance cost burden.
•	Consideration of lost sales or revenue.
•	Cost-mitigating action taken by ecology, if required.
•	Small business and local government consultation.
•	Industries likely impacted by the proposed rule.
•	Expected net impact on jobs statewide.

This information is excerpted from ecology's complete set of regulatory analyses for this rule making. For complete discussion of the likely costs, benefits, minimum compliance burden, and relative burden on small businesses, see the associated regulatory analyses document (Ecology publication no. 25-10-023, March 2025: https://apps.ecology.wa.gov/publications/SummaryPages/2510031.html).

COMPLIANCE REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROPOSED RULE, INCLUDING PROFESSIONAL SERVICES:Baseline: The baseline for our analyses generally consists of existing rules and laws, and their requirements. This is how we make a consistent comparison between the state of the world with and without the rule amendments.

For this rule making, the baseline includes: The existing rule, chapter 173-224 WAC, Water quality permit fees, that sets the current fees and fee structures; and the authorizing law, chapter 90.48 RCW, Water pollution control. Among other requirements related to permitting, the statute requires ecology to:


•	Establish fees to collect expenses for issuing and administering each class of permits under RCW 90.48.160, 90.48.162, and 90.48.260.
•	Adjust fees no more often than once every two years.
•	Apply fees to all permits, regardless of date of issuance, and assess them prospectively.
•	Base fees on factors relating to the complexity of permit issuance and compliance.
•	Have the option of basing fees on pollutant loading and toxicity.
•	Design fees to encourage recycling and the reduction of the quantity of pollutants.
•	Design fees to fully recover and not to exceed expenses incurred by the department in: Processing permit applications and modifications, monitoring and evaluating compliance with permits, conducting inspections, securing laboratory analysis of samples taken during inspections, reviewing plans and documents directly related to operations of permittees, overseeing performance of delegated pretreatment programs, and supporting the overhead expenses that are directly related to these activities.
•	Ensure that indirect dischargers do not pay twice for the administrative expense of a permit.
•	Consider the economic impact of fees on small dischargers and on public entities required to obtain permits for stormwater runoff and make appropriate adjustments.

Proposed Rule: The rule amendments: (1) Add, clarify, or remove definitions; (2) amend fee schedule; (3) remove fee subcategories; (4) add fee subcategories; (5) amend or adjust fee subcategories; and (6) make other fee amendments and adjustments.

1. Add, clarify, or remove definitions: We don't expect the amendments to definitions, in and of themselves, to result in likely impacts. Instead, likely impacts will be reflected in the rule requirements that use those definitions. Likely costs and benefits of these rule amendments are reflected in the context of other rule language, in the sections below.

2. Amend fee schedules: Holding other fee or tier adjustments proposed in this rule making constant (see sections 2.3.3 through 2.3.6 for discussion of other amendments), these amendments will result in a cost (fee increase) to permittees. Overall, the rule amendments, in conjunction with other amendments in this rule making, will result in the fee program:

(1) Funding the expected workload related to implementing the permit program, including inflation-driven changes to labor and materials costs necessary to maintain current levels of administration; and (2) having more equitable distribution of fees, reflecting individual permittees paying fees in line with the actual amount of work necessary to manage their permit(s).

3. Remove fee subcategories: Removing the "LUST Permit issued pre 7/1/1994" fee subcategory should have no effect, as it no longer contains permits.

In the absence of the rule making, there is a single fee category for construction and industrial stormwater individual permit holders. While the proposed amendment technically deletes this subcategory, note that it is to make way for two new subcategories: Construction stormwater individual permit, and the industrial stormwater individual permit, whose impacts are discussed below in section 2.3.4.

The amended rule relegates new industrial stormwater general permit (ISGP) holders that have not previously submitted an annual gross revenue form to the "most appropriate existing [fee] category for their activities." Compared to the fixed fee, we expect the proposed rule to result in a cost (fee increase) or benefit (fee decrease), depending on the revenue category applied to the new permittee.

Other fee tiers in WAC 173-224-040 (5)(a) table section d.2 are larger than the fixed fee the proposed rule removes. Should ecology choose to assess a new ISGP holder that have not previously submitted an annual gross revenue at one of those larger tiers, the impact is a cost (fee increase).

Overall, the rule amendments, in conjunction with other amendments in this rule making, will result in the fee program: (1) Funding the expected workload related to implementing the permit program, including inflation-driven changes to labor and materials costs necessary to maintain current levels of administration; and (2) having more equitable distribution of fees, reflecting individual permittees paying fees in line with the actual amount of work necessary to manage their permit(s).

4. Add fee subcategories: For permit holders subject to nonoperating fees in the baseline, the proposed reclamation permit fee will be higher. The impact on these permittees is a cost (fee increase). For permit holders belonging to fee categories in the baseline other than the nonoperating category, the proposed rule amendment will result in a cost (fee increase) or benefit (fee decrease), depending on the respective baseline fees.

While construction stormwater individual permits and industrial stormwater individual permits represent new categories, they are intended to replace the construction and industrial stormwater individual permit removed by the proposed rule as discussed in section 2.3.3. In other words, the rule effectively splits a single fee category into two new fee categories.

In comparison to the single fee category in the baseline, the construction stormwater individual permit fee category will be in better alignment with the construction stormwater general permit fee category in having its fee based on the more application-appropriate measure "disturbed acreage," rather than "overall acreage," along with an overall decrease in fees across tiers. Holding other aspects of the rule making constant, the amendment should benefit permittees acquiring construction stormwater individual permits compared to the combined fee structure.

For industrial stormwater individual permit holders, the fee schedule and tiers will effectively remain the same compared to baseline, except for the addition of a tier on the high end of the range, and a fee increase in higher tiers (beyond those described in 2.3.2). Conceptually, and holding other amendments constant, this could reduce fees for smaller permittees, as those subject to higher tiers under the rule bear more of the burden within the subcategory.

5. Amend or adjust fee subcategories: We expect these rule amendments to result in fee increases or decreases, depending on the most appropriate existing category for their activities and discharges under the baseline.

Holding other aspects of the rule making constant, adding low and mid-level tiers to fee categories will generally benefit smaller and less complex sites and facilities compared to baseline. For example, a non-LUST permittee reporting three or four contaminants of concern will benefit because the dedicated tier matching this level of complexity proposed by the rule carries a lower fee than what would be assessed for contaminants of concern greater than two in the baseline.

Alternatively, extending fee categories into higher tiers can result in new costs to larger and more complex facilities compared to baseline. For example, a seafood processor discharging one million gallons per day (gpd) will incur a cost because the tier matching this level of complexity proposed by the rule carries a higher fee than what would be assessed for seafood processors discharging greater than 100,000 gpd in the baseline.

6. Other fee amendments and adjustments: Holding impacts from other amendments constant, we expect amendments in this section to result in costs (fee increases), no costs (no fee change), or benefits (fee reductions) depending on permittee size, operating status, or household income in the geographic area covered by the permit.

For example, the proposed not to exceed limits for CAFO dairy general and individual permits are higher than baseline, but only represent a cost for farms large enough to exceed baseline not to exceed limits.

The proposed reduced rate for industrial facilities limits fee reductions to 35 percent of fees otherwise assessed, compared to 25 percent in the baseline under the inactive rate. This represents a fee increase to permittees receiving inactive rates now or in future periods under the baseline. The exception are fruit packers who are explicitly precluded from an inactive rate under the baseline but may be considered for a reduced rate under the proposed rule (i.e., a benefit in most cases).

The proposed minimum annual fee for the municipal wastewater permit fee is higher than the baseline and therefore represents a cost (fee increase) for permittees that are subject to the minimum fee now or in future periods.

The proposed not-to-exceed limits for phase 2 general permit fees are higher than baseline, but only represent a cost for cities and counties with median household income above state average, and large enough to exceed baseline limits now or in future periods.

The proposed minimum annual phase 2 general permit fees for cities and counties with a median income level below state average is higher than the baseline, and therefore represents a cost (fee increase) for permittees subject to the minimum fee now or in future periods.

The impacts of replacing budget based tiers with a flat fee for other municipal stormwater permits (phase 1 and 2 secondary facilities) depends on the operating budget of the facility and staff time needed to report on it. Generally, facilities with budgets of $1 million or greater will likely receive a benefit (fee decrease) based on the differential between the proposed flat fee and baseline tiers. Facilities with a budget less than $1 million will likely incur a cost (fee increase) by the same logic. However, note that the amendment would remove the need to report on operating budgets altogether, which likely represents a benefit (cost savings) to all affected permittees in the form of reduced staff hours.

Overall, the rule amendments, in conjunction with other amendments in this rule making will result in the fee program: (1) Funding the expected workload related to implementing the permit program, including inflation-driven changes to labor and materials costs necessary to maintain current levels of administration; and (2) having more equitable distribution of fees, reflecting individual permittees paying fees in line with the actual amount of work necessary to manage their permit(s).

COSTS OF COMPLIANCE: EQUIPMENT; SUPPLIES; LABOR; PROFESSIONAL SERVICES; ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS: Compliance with the proposed rule, compared to the baseline, is not likely to impose these additional types of cost.

COSTS OF COMPLIANCE: Other:

Water Quality Fees: This section summarizes the size and distribution of fee costs across all potentially impacted permits. To do this, we examined 6,785 existing permit records and identified:

Baseline fees: Current fees paid by the permittee for the permit.

Amended fees: Likely fee tiers and associated fees for FY 2026 and 2027 for each permit.

We calculated the difference between baseline and amended fees for FY 2026 and 2027 for each permit. Some permits are likely to have higher fees under the rule amendments, while others will have lower fees. Most fee changes are costs (increases in fees), reflecting the higher current costs of administering the permit program related to those permits.

Figures reported in this analysis assume that permits historically receiving discounted rates under the baseline, will continue to do so under the new rule. If the proposed rule amends the rate at which fees are discounted, we apply the proposed discount into future years.

While some permittees will likely see significant increases associated with permit costs, most permittees will only see small to moderate increases in their fees under the stated assumptions.

The total cost (total increase in fees) is about $1,700,000 in FY 2026, and nearly $2,900,000 in FY 2027. Under our simplifying assumption, this cost will continue in each subsequent year. Ecology calculates costs and benefits of rules using 20-year present values. A present value converts streams of costs or benefits over time, into a single comparable value in current dollars. It accounts for inflation, and the opportunity cost of having funds or value later versus now, using a historic average real discount rate of 0.4 percent.

We estimated the 20-year present value of costs of the rule amendments as $55,300,000.

For the purposes of calculating the 20-year present value, this regulatory analysis makes the simplifying assumption that the amended FY 2027 fees will remain constant over time. However, it is likely under the updating process that fees will change, in part, to keep pace with changes in labor and materials costs (inflation).

These changes are necessary to maintain current levels of service and program administration. That is, through the present and future amendments, ecology is attempting to keep the "real" cost of fees, considering inflation, relatively constant.

COMPARISON OF COMPLIANCE COST FOR SMALL VERSUS LARGE BUSINESSES: In this section, we estimate compliance costs per entity and per employee. The average affected small business likely to be covered by the rule amendments employs approximately 13 people. The largest 10 percent of affected businesses employ an average of 85,028 people at the highest owner-operator level. Based on cost estimates in chapter 3, we estimated the following compliance costs per employee.

Table 1. Compliance Cost by Business Size

Type of Cost (or Total Cost)	Small Business	Largest 10% of Businesses
Total Employment	14,585	15,900,197
Average Employment	13	85,028
Cost per Entity	$7,117	$150,789
Cost per Employee	$551	$2

We conclude that the rule amendments are likely to have disproportionate impacts on small businesses, and therefore ecology must include elements in the rule amendments to mitigate this disproportion, as far as is legal and feasible.

MITIGATION OF DISPROPORTIONATE IMPACT: The RFA (RCW 19.85.030(2)) states that:

"Based upon the extent of disproportionate impact on small business identified in the statement prepared under RCW 19.85.040, the agency shall, where legal and feasible in meeting the stated objectives of the statutes upon which the rule is based, reduce the costs imposed by the rule on small businesses. The agency must consider, without limitation, each of the following methods of reducing the impact of the proposed rule on small businesses:

(a) Reducing, modifying, or eliminating substantive regulatory requirements;

(b) Simplifying, reducing, or eliminating recordkeeping and reporting requirements;

(d) Delaying compliance timetables;

(e) Reducing or modifying fine schedules for noncompliance; or

(f) Any other mitigation techniques including those suggested by small businesses or small business advocates." We considered all the above options, the goals, and objectives of the authorizing statutes (see chapter 6), and the scope of this rule making. We limited compliance cost-reduction methods to those that:

Modifying regulatory requirements, changing reporting requirements, reducing the frequency of inspections, or delaying compliance timetables would not meet statutory objectives or are not feasible and within the scope of this rule making.

Through adjustments made to fee categories and associated tiers in this rule making, smaller, less complex facilities and activities will continue to pay lower fees, and better avoid subsidizing the costs of larger more complex permits. In this regard, the rule will likely reduce small business impacts, relative to a no rule alternative.

Finally, note the following elements currently in rule to reduce costs to small businesses:

WAC 173-224-090 allows small businesses to receive a fee reduction of 50 percent, but not less than the minimum permit fee of $160, if they are determined to be eligible under the following criteria:

(1) Be a corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or other legal entity formed for the purpose of making a profit;

(2) Be independently owned and operated from all other businesses (i.e., not a subsidiary of a parent company);

(3) Have annual sales of $1,000,000 or less of the goods or services produced using the processes regulated by the waste discharge or individual stormwater discharge permit (we identified 605 small business permittees in Washington that meet this definition); and

(4) Have an original annual permit fee assessment totaling $500 or greater.

In addition to the small business fee reduction, any small business with annual gross revenue totaling $100,000 or less from goods and services produced using the processes regulated by the discharge permit may apply for an extreme hardship fee reduction. If the permit holder is determined eligible, the annual permit fee is reduced to the minimum annual permit fee of $165.


•	Are legal and feasible.
•	Meet the goals and objectives of the authorizing statute.
•	Are within the scope of this rule making.

SMALL BUSINESS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONSULTATION: We involved small businesses and local governments in the development of the rule amendments by mailing notices to all permitted entities seeking feedback when the proposed amendment began development. Ecology also developed focus sheets detailing the proposed updates on the following subjects: Concentrated animal feeding operations, ore mining, municipal wastewater, reduced permit fee rate, seafood processing, and water quality permit fees. Lastly, ecology conducted direct email outreach to facilities that were identified as being impacted by changes in the proposal.

Table 2. North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Codes of Industries Impacted by the Proposed Rule

NAICS Code	Description	NAICS Code	Description	NAICS Code	Description
111x	Agricultural Products	334	Computer and Electronic Products	512	Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries
112x	Livestock and Livestock Products	335	Electrical Equipment, Appliances and Components	517	Telecommunications
113x	Forestry and Logging	336	Transportation Equipment	522	Credit Intermediation and Related Activities
114x	Fish, Fresh/Chilled/Frozen and Other Marine Products	337	Furniture and Fixtures	523	Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities
115x	Support Activities for Agriculture and Forestry	339	Miscellaneous Manufactured Commodities	531	Real Estate
211x	Oil and Gas	423	Merchant Wholesalers, Durable Goods	532	Rental and Leasing Services
212x	Minerals and Ores	424	Merchant Wholesalers, Nondurable Goods	533	Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works)
213x	Support Activities for Mining	441	Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers	541	Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services
221x	Utilities	444	Building Material and Garden Equipment and Supplies Dealers	551	Management of Companies and Enterprises
236x	Construction of Buildings	445	Food and Beverage Retailers	561	Administrative and Support Services
237x	Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	449	Furniture, Home Furnishings, Electronics, and Appliance Retailers	562	Waste Management and Remediation Services
238x	Specialty Trade Contractors	455	General Merchandise Retailers	611	Educational Services
311x	Food and Kindred Products	456	Health and Personal Care Retailers	621	Ambulatory Health Care Services
312x	Beverages and Tobacco Products	457	Gasoline Stations and Fuel Dealers	622	Hospitals
313x	Textiles and Fabrics	458	Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers	623	Nursing and Residential Care Facilities
314x	Textile Mill Products	459	Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers	624	Social Assistance
321	Wood Products	481	Air Transportation	711	Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries
322	Paper Manufacturing	482	Rail Transportation	712	Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions
324	Petroleum and Coal Products	483	Water Transportation	713	Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries
325	Chemicals	484	Truck Transportation	721	Accommodation
326	Plastics and Rubber Products	485	Transit and Ground Passenger Transportation	722	Food Services and Drinking Places
327	Nonmetallic Mineral Products	486	Pipeline Transportation	811	Repair and Maintenance
331	Primary Metal Manufacturing	488	Support Activities for Transportation	812	Personal and Laundry Services
332	Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	492	Couriers and Messengers	813	Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations
333	Machinery, except Electrical	493	Warehousing and Storage

CONSIDERATION OF LOST SALES OR REVENUE, IMPACT ON JOBS: We used the REMI E3+ model for Washington state to estimate the impact of the rule amendments on jobs in the state, accounting for dynamic adjustments throughout the economy.

The rule amendments will result in transfers of money within and between industries, as compared to the baseline. The modeled impacts on employment are the result of multiple small increases and decreases in employment, prices, and other economic variables across all industries in the state.

The results of REMI E3+ model show insignificant impact on jobs in the affected industries. The industries with the highest jobs impact are construction, retail trade, and wholesale trade. Among the top three industries impacted, construction is estimated to have one to two job losses from 2026 to 2045, retail trade is expected two job losses after the initial implementation year, and wholesale trade around three job losses after the initial implementation year.

Table 3: Impacts on Jobs, FTEs

Industry	Initial Jobs Impact	Jobs Impact in 10 Years	Jobs Impact in 20 Years
All Industries (Whole State)	-3	-16	-12
Construction	-1	-2	-1
Retail Trade	0	-2	-2
Wholesale Trade	0	-3

The public may obtain a copy of the small business impact statement or the detailed cost calculations by contacting Matthew Tietjen, Department of Ecology, Water Quality Program, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, WA 98504-7600, phone 360-280-3697, speech disability may call TTY at 877-833-6341, impaired hearing may call Washington relay service at 711, email wqfeeunit@ecy.wa.gov.

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 23-14-079, filed 6/29/23, effective 7/30/23)

WAC 173-224-015Purpose.

The purpose of this chapter is to establish a fee system for state waste discharge and NPDES permits issued by the department pursuant to RCW 90.48.160, 90.48.162, or 90.48.260. RCW 90.48.465 directs the department to base fees on factors related to the complexity of permit issuance and compliance and to assess fees to fully recover, but not exceed the costs of the permit program based on expenses incurred in the issuance and comprehensive administration of state waste discharge and NPDES permits. Fee amounts contained in this chapter represent the department's true estimate of fee eligible permit program costs and reflect the department's commitment to fully recover all eligible expenses. Fee amounts in this chapter for fiscal year ((2025))2027 remain in effect for subsequent fiscal years until this chapter is amended. The department shall continue to examine the feasibility of adopting alternative permit fee systems. Any alternative fee system, such as variable permit fees, shall ensure continued full recovery of eligible program costs and may be based on pollutant loading and toxicity and may be designed to encourage recycling and reduction of the quantity of pollutants.

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 23-14-079, filed 6/29/23, effective 7/30/23)

WAC 173-224-030Definitions.

The following definitions apply to this chapter.

(1) "Administrative expenses" means those costs associated with issuing and administering permits under RCW 90.48.160, 90.48.162, and 90.48.260.

(2) "Aluminum forming" means the deformation of aluminum or aluminum alloys into specific shapes by hot or cold rolling, drawing, extruding, or forging.

(3) "Aluminum and magnesium reduction mills" means the electrolytic reduction of alumina or magnesium salts to produce aluminum or magnesium metal.

(4) "Animal unit" means the following:

DAIRY ANIMAL TYPE		ANIMAL UNIT MULTIPLIER
The number of animal units equals the number of animals multiplied by the animal unit multiplier.
Example: 10 milk cows multiplied by 1.4 = 14 animal units
Dairy Cows
	Milk cow	1.40
	Dry cow	1.00
	Heifer	0.80

(5) "Annual permit fee" means the fee assessed by the department for annual expenses associated with activities specified in RCW 90.48.465. This annual fee is assessed in alignment with the state's fiscal year (July 1 - June 30).

(6) "bbls" means barrels of product in storage for fuel and chemical storage facilities.

(7) "bbls per day" means barrels per day of oil for petroleum refineries.

(8) "bins per year" means total standard bins used during the last complete calendar year by a facility in the fruit packing industry. The bins measure approximately 47.5 inches × 47.4 inches × 29.5 inches and hold approximately 870 pounds of fruit.

(9) "Chemical pulp mill with chlorine bleaching" means any pulp mill that uses chlorine or chlorine compounds in their bleaching process.

(10) "Coal mining and preparation" means extracting coal from underground or surface mines using machinery or explosives. Coal preparation plants may use chemical and physical processes such as leaching, distillation, retorting, slurry mining, solution mining, borehole mining, fluid recovery mining, washing and concentrating. Coal handling may include sorting, screening, crushing, storing, or transporting.

(11) "Combined food processing waste treatment facility" means a facility that treats wastewater from more than one separately permitted food processor and receives no domestic wastewater or waste from industrial sources other than food processing.

(12) "Combined industrial waste treatment" means a facility that treats wastewater from more than one industry in any of the following categories: Inorganic chemicals, metal finishing, ore concentration, organic chemicals, or photofinishers.

(13) "Combined sewer overflow (CSO) system" means a system that conveys combined wastewater and stormwater to a domestic wastewater facility for treatment, but may also discharge wastewater prior to the treatment facility.

(14) "Concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO)" means an animal feeding operation that meets the criteria in Appendix C of 40 C.F.R. 122 as presently enacted and any subsequent modifications thereto.

(15) "Contaminants of concern" means a chemical for which an effluent limit is established (this does not include pH, flow, temperature, or other "nonchemical parameters"). Petroleum constituents are considered as one contaminant of concern even if more than one effluent limit is established (e.g., Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons and benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, and xylene (BTEX)).

(16) "Crane" means a machine used for hoisting and lifting ship hulls.

(17) "Cubic yards per year" means the cubic yards per year for total production from a sand and gravel facility during the most recent completed calendar year.

(18) "Department" means the department of ecology.

(19) "Director" means the director of the department of ecology.

(20) "Disturbed acres" means the total area of disturbance for a construction site over the life of a construction project. This includes all clearing, grading, and excavating, and any other activity which disturbs the surface of the land.

(21) "Domestic wastewater" means water carrying human wastes, including kitchen, bath, and laundry wastes from residences, buildings, industrial establishments or other places, together with any groundwater infiltration or surface waters that may be present.

(22) "Domestic wastewater facility" means all structures, equipment, or processes required to collect, carry away, treat, reclaim or dispose of domestic wastewater together with industrial waste that may be present.

(23) "EPA" means the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

(24) "Facilities not otherwise classified" means an industrial wastewater facility that does not meet the definition of other permit fee categories and the discharge in gallons per day is the best method to assess a permit fee. This fee category may include a variety of industrial facility types.

(25) "Finfish hatching and rearing" means raising (i.e., hatching, culturing, rearing, and growing) finfish. An operation to raise finfish uses confined spaces such as hatcheries, net pens, or other enclosed fish facilities or structures. The purpose for the activity can include sales or fisheries enhancement.

(26) "Federally recognized tribe" means any Indian tribe, band, nation, or other organized group or community of Indians in the Federal List Act, that is recognized as having a government-to-government relationship with the United States of America, with the responsibilities, powers, limitations, and obligations to that designation, and is eligible for funding and services from the Bureau of Indian Affairs or successor agency.

(27) "Flavor extraction" means the recovery of flavors or essential oils from organic products by steam distillation.

(28) "Food processing" means the preparation of food for human or animal consumption or the preparation of animal by-products, excluding fruit packing. This category includes, but is not limited to, fruit and vegetable processing, meat and poultry products processing, dairy products processing, beer production, rendering and animal feed production. Food processing wastewater treatment plants that treat wastes from only one separately permitted food processor must be treated as one facility for billing purposes.

(29) "Fruit packing" means preparing fruit for wholesale or retail sale by washing and/or other processes in which the skin of the fruit is not broken and in which the interior part of the fruit does not come in direct contact with the wastewater.

(30) "gpd" means gallons per day.

(31) "gpy" means gallons per year of wine produced as reported annually for the most recent completed calendar year.

(32) "Hazardous waste cleanup sites" means any facility where there has been confirmation of a release or threatened release of a hazardous substance that requires remedial action other than RCRA corrective action sites.

(33) (("Inactive" means that a facility is not currently discharging wastewater but maintains their permit coverage.

(34) "Inactive rate" means a fee assessment that is reduced to 25 percent of the regular assessed fee, when a site is inactive for a minimum of 18 months.

(35))) "Industrial gross revenue" means the annual amount of the sales of goods and services produced using the processes regulated by the stormwater discharge permit.

(((36)))(34) "Industrial stormwater" means stormwater discharges associated with industrial activities that are regulated under either a general permit or an individual permit for stormwater.

(((37)))(35) "Industrial wastewater" means water or liquid-carried waste from industrial or commercial processes, as distinct from domestic wastewater. These wastes may result from any process or activity of industry, manufacture, trade or business, from the development of any natural resource, or from animal operations such as feed lots, poultry houses, or dairies. The term includes contaminated stormwater and, also, leachate from solid waste facilities.

(((38)))(36) "Industrial wastewater facility" means all structures, equipment, or processes required to collect, carry away, treat, reclaim, or dispose of industrial wastewater. In this rule, it also means any facility not included in the definition of municipal or domestic wastewater facility.

(((39)))(37) "Manufacturing" means making goods and articles by hand or machine into a manufactured product.

(((40)))(38) "Median household income" means the most recent available census data, updated yearly as measured by the U.S. Census Bureau.

(((41)))(39) "Metal finishing" means preparing metal surfaces by means of electroplating, electroless plating, anodizing, coating (chromating, phosphating and coloring), chemical etching and milling, and printed circuit board manufacture.

(((42)))(40) "MGD" means million gallons per day.

(((43)))(41) "Municipal or domestic wastewater facility" means a publicly owned facility treating domestic wastewater together with any industrial wastewaters that may be present, or a privately owned facility treating solely domestic wastewater.

(((44)))(42) "Municipal sewerage system" or "publicly owned treatment works (POTW)" means a publicly owned domestic wastewater facility or a privately owned domestic wastewater facility.

(((45)))(43) "Municipality" means a city, town, county, district, association, or other public body created by or in accordance with state law and that has jurisdiction over disposal of sewage, industrial wastes, or other wastes, or a designated and approved management agency under 33 U.S.C. Sec. 1288. State government agencies are not included in this definition.

(((46)))(44) "Noncontact cooling water with additives" means water used for cooling that does not come into direct contact with any raw materials, intermediate product, waste product or finished product, but may contain chemicals or additives to control corrosion or fouling of the cooling system.

(((47)))(45) "Noncontact cooling water without additives" means water used for cooling that does not come into direct contact with any raw material, intermediate product, waste product or finished product, that does not contain chemicals or additives. The noncontact cooling water fee without additives category applies to those facilities that discharge only noncontact cooling water and that have no other wastewater discharges required to be permitted under RCW 90.48.160, 90.48.162, and 90.48.260.

(((48)))(46) "Nonferrous metals forming" means manufacturing semifinished products from pure metal or metal alloys other than iron or steel or of metals not otherwise classified in WAC 173-224-040(2).

(((49)))(47) "Nonfinfish hatching and rearing" means raising (i.e., hatching culturing, rearing, and growing) aquatic animals, such as shellfish, other aquatic invertebrates, or other aquatic species, that are not exclusively finfish. An operation to raise these species uses confined spaces to grow the animals and includes feeding and cleaning activities to maintain the animals. The purposes for the activity can include sales and harvest enhancement.

(((50)))(48) "Nonoperating site" means a location where previous sand and gravel mining or processing has occurred; that has not been fully reclaimed; that conducts mining or processing fewer than 90 days per year, and that may include stockpiles of raw materials or finished products. The permittee may add or withdraw raw materials or finished products from the stockpiles for transportation off-site for processing, use, or sale and still be considered a nonoperating site.

(((51)))(49) "NPDES permit" means a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit issued by the department under Section 402 of the federal Clean Water Act and RCW 90.48.260.

(((52)))(50) "Ore mining, processing, refining, other" refers to mine operators who extract ores (metal-bearing rock) from underground or surface mines using machinery, explosives, or chemicals. Extraction processes include dressing (picking, sorting, washing of ores), milling (crushing, grinding, etc.), and beneficiation (processing to improve purity/quality).

(((53)))(51) "Person" means any political subdivision, government agency, municipality, industry, public or private corporation, partnership, association, firm, individual, or any other entity whatever.

(((54)))(52) "Portable facility" means a facility or equipment that is designed for mobility and is moved from site to site for short term operations. A portable facility or equipment applies only to an asphalt batch plant, portable concrete batch plant and portable rock crusher.

(((55)))(53) "RCRA corrective action sites" means Resource Conservation Recovery Act cleanup sites required to have a wastewater discharge permit resulting from a corrective action under relevant federal authorities or under chapters 70A.300 and 70A.305 RCW including chapters 173-303 and 173-340 WAC, and are not subject to cost recovery.

(((56)))(54) "Residential equivalent (RE)" means a single-family residence or a unit of sewer service that yields an amount of gross revenue equal to the annual user charge for a single-family residence. In cases where the permit holder does not maintain data on gross revenue, user charges, and/or the number of single-family residences that it serves, "residential equivalent" means an influent flow of 250 gallons per day.

(((57)))(55) "Sand and gravel" means mining or quarrying sand, gravel, or rock, or producing concrete, asphalt, or a combination thereof.

(((58)))(56) "Seafood processing" means:

(a) Preparing fresh, cooked, canned, smoked, preserved, or frozen seafoods, including marine and freshwater animals (fish, shellfish, crustaceans, etc.) and plants, for human or animal consumption; or

(b) Washing, shucking, and/or packaging of mollusks or crustaceans.

(((59)))(57) "Sewer service" means receiving sewage deposited into and transported by a system of sewers, drains, and pipes to a common point, or points, for disposal or for transfer to treatment for disposal, and activities involving the interception, transfer, storage, treatment, and/or disposal of sewage, or any of these activities.

(((60)))(58) "State waste discharge permit" means a permit required under RCW 90.48.160 or 90.48.162.

(((61)))(59) "Stormwater" means precipitation that flows from an industrial operation or construction activity discharging stormwater runoff as defined in 40 C.F.R. 122.26 (b)(14) or facilities that are permitted as a significant contributor of pollutants as allowed in the federal Clean Water Act at Section 402 (p).

(((62)))(60) "Tons per year" means the total annual production in tons from an asphalt production facility during the most recent completed calendar year, or the average tons per year of coal mining and preparation production.

(((63)))(61) "Vegetable or bulb washing" means washing, packing, or shipping fresh vegetables and bulbs when there is no cooking or cutting of the product before packing.

AMENDATORY SECTION(Amending WSR 23-14-079, filed 6/29/23, effective 7/30/23)

WAC 173-224-040Permit fee schedule.

(1) Application fee. In addition to an annual fee, first time individual permit applicants must pay a nonrefundable application fee of 25 percent of the annual permit fee, or (($250))$275, whichever is greater. An application fee is assessed for RCRA corrective action sites regardless of whether a new permit is issued or an existing permit for other than the discharge resulting from the RCRA corrective action, is modified.

(2) Minimum fee. The minimum water quality annual permit fee is (($150.00))$165.00, unless specified elsewhere in this section. The department may elect, at its discretion, to assess this minimum fee when no better permit fee category applies, or when a prorated annual permit fee falls below the minimum fee amount.

(3) INDUSTRIAL FACILITY ANNUAL PERMIT FEE SCHEDULE

The following industrial facilities must pay an annual permit fee as follows:

((INDUSTRIAL FACILITY CATEGORIES			FY2024 ANNUAL PERMIT FEE	FY2025 ANNUAL PERMIT FEE
Aluminum Alloys			$22,950	$22,950
Aluminum and Magnesium Reduction Mills
a.	NPDES Permit		115,780	115,780
b.	State Permit		57,900	57,900
Aluminum Forming			72,830	77,100
Aquaculture
a.	Finfish hatching and rearing - General Permit		4,126	4,126
b.	Finfish hatching and rearing - Individual Permit		5,900	5,900
c.	Nonfinfish hatching and rearing - Individual Permit		5,900	5,900
Aquatic Pest Control Permits
a.	Aquatic & Invasive Species Control (State agencies permits)		8,000	8,000
b.	Aquatic Plant & Algae Management		500	500
c.	Irrigation System Aquatic Weed Control		710	710
d.	Mosquito Control		500	500
e.	Noxious Weed Control (State agencies permits)		8,000	8,000
f.	Oyster Growers		500	500
Boatyards - General Permit
a.	With stormwater only discharge		570	600
b.	All others		1,150	1,210
Boatyards - Individual Permit
a.	With stormwater only discharge		650	700
b.	All others		1,200	1,250
Bridge and Ferry Terminals Washing
a.	Single site Permit		4,200	4,200
b.	Multi site Permit
	1. 1 - 5 Facilities		6,200	6,200
	2. 6 - 10 Facilities		8,200	8,200
	3. 11 - 20 Facilities		10,500	10,500
c.	WSDOT Annual Fee		13,500	13,500
Coal Mining and Preparation
a.	< 200,000 tons per year		9,000	9,000
b.	200,000 - < 500,000 tons per year		20,500	20,500
c.	500,000 - < 1,000,000 tons per year		36,500	36,500
d.	1,000,000 tons per year and greater		68,500	68,500
Combined Industrial Waste Treatment
a.	< 10,000 gpd		3,970	3,970
b.	10,000 - < 50,000 gpd		9,800	9,800
c.	50,000 - < 100,000 gpd		19,600	19,600
d.	100,000 - < 500,000 gpd		39,200	39,200
e.	500,000 gpd and greater		58,800	58,800
Combined Food Processing Waste Treatment Facilities			19,800	21,000
Combined Sewer Overflow System
a.	< 50 acres		3,900	3,900
b.	50 - < 100 acres		9,800	9,800
c.	100 - < 500 acres		11,780	11,780
d.	500 acres and greater		15,700	15,700
Commercial Laundry			575	575
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) - Dairy GP			$0.52 per animal unit, not to exceed $2,190	$0.54 per animal unit, not to exceed $2,320
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) - Dairy IP			$0.66 per animal unit, not to exceed $2,850	$0.70 per animal unit, not to exceed $3,020

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) - General Permit
Size of CAFO by Animal Type and Animal Count		SMALL	MEDIUM	LARGE
FY2024 and FY2025 Annual Fee		$350	$1,500	$3,500
a.	Veal Calves	< 300	300 - 999	1,000 and greater
b.	Other Cattle	< 300	300 - 999	1,000 and greater
c.	Swine (55 lbs or more)	< 700	700 - 2,499	2,500 and greater
d.	Swine (less than 55 lbs)	< 3,000	3,000 - 9,999	10,000 and greater
e.	Horses	< 150	150 - 499	500 and greater
f.	Sheep and Lambs	< 3,000	3,000 - 9,999	10,000 and greater
g.	Turkeys	< 16,500	16,500 - 54,999	55,000 and greater
h.	Chickens, including laying hens or broilers, with liquid waste system	< 9,000	9,000 - 29,999	30,000 and greater
i.	Chickens, other than layers, with dry waste system	< 25,000	25,000 - 81,999	82,000 and greater
j.	Laying Hens, with dry waste system	< 25,000	25,000 - 81,999	82,000 and greater
k.	Ducks, with liquid waste system	< 1,500	1,500 - 4,999	5,000 and greater
l.	Ducks, with dry waste system	< 10,000	10,000 - 29,999	30,000 and greater
m.	Other Species	As determined by Department	As determined by Department	As determined by Department

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) - Individual Permit			$5,000	$5,000
Facilities Not Otherwise Classified
a.	< 1,000 gpd		1,960	1,960
b.	1,000 - < 10,000 gpd		3,930	3,930
c.	10,000 - < 50,000 gpd		9,820	9,820
d.	50,000 - < 100,000 gpd		15,700	15,700
e.	100,000 - < 500,000 gpd		31,260	31,260
f.	500,000 - < 1,000,000 gpd		39,270	39,270
g.	1,000,000 gpd and greater		58,900	58,900
Flavor Extraction
a.	Steam Distillation		215	230
Food Processing
a.	< 1,000 gpd		1,960	1,960
b.	1,000 - < 10,000 gpd		5,000	5,000
c.	10,000 - < 50,000 gpd		8,930	8,930
d.	50,000 - < 100,000 gpd		14,040	14,040
e.	100,000 - < 250,000 gpd		19,630	19,630
f.	250,000 - < 500,000 gpd		25,820	25,820
g.	500,000 - < 750,000 gpd		32,400	32,400
h.	750,000 - < 1,000,000 gpd		39,270	39,270
i.	1,000,000 - < 2,500,000 gpd		48,370	48,370
j.	2,500,000 - < 5,000,000 gpd		53,990	53,990
k.	5,000,000 gpd and greater		58,900	58,900
Fruit Packing - General Permit
a.	0 - < 1,000 bins per year		275	275
b.	1,000 - < 5,000 bins per year		550	550
c.	5,000 - < 10,000 bins per year		1,100	1,100
d.	10,000 - < 15,000 bins per year		2,200	2,200
e.	15,000 - < 20,000 bins per year		3,640	3,640
f.	20,000 - < 25,000 bins per year		5,080	5,080
g.	25,000 - < 50,000 bins per year		6,800	6,800
h.	50,000 - < 75,000 bins per year		7,560	7,560
i.	75,000 - < 100,000 bins per year		8,790	8,790
j.	100,000 - < 125,000 bins per year		10,990	10,990
k.	125,000 - < 150,000 bins per year		13,740	13,740
l.	150,000 bins per year and greater		16,490	16,490
Fruit Packing - Individual Permit
a.	0 - < 1,000 bins per year		390	390
b.	1,000 - < 5,000 bins per year		790	790
c.	5,000 - < 10,000 bins per year		1,570	1,570
d.	10,000 - < 15,000 bins per year		3,140	3,140
e.	15,000 - < 20,000 bins per year		5,200	5,200
f.	20,000 - < 25,000 bins per year		7,260	7,260
g.	25,000 - < 50,000 bins per year		9,720	9,720
h.	50,000 - < 75,000 bins per year		10,800	10,800
i.	75,000 - < 100,000 bins per year		12,560	12,560
j.	100,000 - < 125,000 bins per year		15,700	15,700
k.	125,000 - < 150,000 bins per year		19,630	19,630
l.	150,000 bins per year and greater		23,520	23,520
Fuel and Chemical Storage
a.	< 50,000 bbls		2,080	2,180
b.	50,000 - < 100,000 bbls		4,150	4,300
c.	100,000 - < 500,000 bbls		10,400	11,000
d.	500,000 bbls and greater		20,700	21,800
Hazardous Waste Cleanup Sites
a.	Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (LUST)
	1. State Permit		5,150	5,150
	2. NPDES Permit issued pre 7/1/1994		5,150	5,150
	3. NPDES Permit issued post 7/1/1994		10,300	10,300
b.	Non-LUST Sites
	1. 1 or 2 contaminants of concern		10,070	10,070
	2. ˃ 2 contaminants of concern		20,140	20,140
Ink Formulation and Printing
a.	Commercial Print Shops		3,020	3,020
b.	Newspapers		5,040	5,040
c.	Package Printing		8,060	8,060
d.	Ink Formulation		10,070	10,070
Inorganic Chemicals Manufacturing
a.	Lime Products		9,820	9,820
b.	Fertilizer		11,820	11,820
c.	Peroxide		15,700	15,700
d.	Alkaline Earth Salts		19,640	19,640
e.	Metal Salts		27,480	27,480
f.	Acid Manufacturing		38,940	38,940
g.	Chlor-alkali		78,530	78,530
Iron and Steel
a.	Foundries		22,900	22,900
b.	Mills		45,940	45,940
Metal Finishing
a.	< 1,000 gpd		2,750	2,750
b.	1,000 - < 10,000 gpd		4,590	4,590
c.	10,000 - < 50,000 gpd		11,470	11,470
d.	50,000 - < 100,000 gpd		22,950	22,950
e.	100,000 - < 500,000 gpd		45,900	45,900
f.	500,000 gpd and greater		68,840	68,840
Noncontact Cooling Water with Additives - General Permit
a.	< 1,000 gpd		860	860
b.	1,000 - < 10,000 gpd		1,720	1,720
c.	10,000 - < 50,000 gpd		2,580	2,580
d.	50,000 - < 100,000 gpd		6,010	6,010
e.	100,000 - < 500,000 gpd		10,300	10,300
f.	500,000 - < 1,000,000 gpd		14,600	14,600
g.	1,000,000 - < 2,500,000 gpd		18,900	18,900
h.	2,500,000 - < 5,000,000 gpd		23,190	23,190
i.	5,000,000 gpd and greater		27,480	27,480
Noncontact Cooling Water without Additives - General Permit
a.	< 1,000 gpd		690	690
b.	1,000 - < 10,000 gpd		1,380	1,380
c.	10,000 - < 50,000 gpd		2,060	2,060
d.	50,000 - < 100,000 gpd		4,810	4,810
e.	100,000 - < 500,000 gpd		8,250	8,250
f.	500,000 - < 1,000,000 gpd		11,680	11,680
g.	1,000,000 - < 2,500,000 gpd		15,120	15,120
h.	2,500,000 - < 5,000,000 gpd		18,550	18,550
i.	5,000,000 gpd and greater		21,990	21,990
Noncontact Cooling Water with Additives - Individual Permit
a.	< 1,000 gpd		1,230	1,230
b.	1,000 - < 10,000 gpd		2,000	2,000
c.	10,000 - < 50,000 gpd		3,680	3,680
d.	50,000 - < 100,000 gpd		8,590	8,590
e.	100,000 - < 500,000 gpd		14,720	14,720
f.	500,000 - < 1,000,000 gpd		20,860	20,860
g.	1,000,000 - < 2,500,000 gpd		27,000	27,000
h.	2,500,000 - < 5,000,000 gpd		32,990	32,990
i.	5,000,000 gpd and greater		39,270	39,270
Noncontact Cooling Water without Additives - Individual Permit
a.	< 1,000 gpd		980	980
b.	1,000 - < 10,000 gpd		1,960	1,960
c.	10,000 - < 50,000 gpd		2,950	2,950
d.	50,000 - < 100,000 gpd		6,870	6,870
e.	100,000 - < 500,000 gpd		11,780	11,780
f.	500,000 - < 1,000,000 gpd		16,690	16,690
g.	1,000,000 - < 2,500,000 gpd		21,510	21,510
h.	2,500,000 - < 5,000,000 gpd		26,500	26,500
i.	5,000,000 gpd and greater		31,410	31,410
Nonferrous Metals Forming			22,950	22,950
Ore Mining
a.	Ore mining		4,800	4,800
b.	Ore mining with physical concentration processes		9,600	9,600
c.	Ore mining with physical and chemical concentration processes		38,300	38,300
Organic Chemicals Manufacturing
a.	Fertilizer		19,640	19,640
b.	Aliphatic		39,260	39,260
c.	Aromatic		58,900	58,900
Petroleum Refining
a.	< 10,000 bbls per day		39,260	39,260
b.	10,000 - < 50,000 bbls per day		77,850	77,850
c.	50,000 bbls per day and greater		157,000	157,000
Photofinishers
a.	< 1,000 gpd		1,570	1,570
b.	1,000 and greater		3,930	3,900
Power and/or Steam Plants
a.	Steam generation - nonelectric		8,300	8,300
b.	Hydroelectric		8,300	8,300
c.	Nonfossil fuel		12,400	12,400
d.	Fossil fuel		33,000	33,000
Pulp, Paper, and Paper Board
a.	Fiber Recyclers/Nonwood Pulp Mills		19,600	19,600
b.	Paper Mills		39,250	39,250
c.	Groundwood Pulp Mills
	1. < 300 tons per day		58,900	58,900
	2. ˃ 300 tons per day		117,800	117,800
d.	Chemical Pulps Mills w/o chlorine bleaching		157,070	157,070
e.	Chemical Pulp Mills with chlorine bleaching		176,700	176,700
Radioactive Effluents and Discharges (RED)
a.	< 3 waste streams		38,000	38,000
b.	3 - < 8 waste streams		66,000	66,000
c.	8 waste streams and more		108,500	108,500
RCRA Corrective Action Sites			27,600	27,600

Sand and Gravel - General Permit
a.	Mining Activities
	1. Mining, screening, washing, and/or crushing		2,550	2,550
	2. Nonoperating		150	150
b.	Asphalt Production and Recycling
	1. 0 - < 50,000 tons per year		1,070	1,070
	2. 50,000 - < 300,000 tons per year		2,550	2,550
	3. 300,000 tons per year and greater		3,180	3,180
	4. Nonoperating		150	150
c.	Concrete Production and Recycling
	1. 0 - < 25,000 cubic yards per year		1,070	1,070
	2. 25,000 - < 200,000 cubic yards per year		2,550	2,550
	3. 200,000 cubic yards per year and greater		3,180	3,180
	4. Nonoperating		150	150
d.	Portable Facility
	1. Rock crushing		2,700	2,700
	2. Asphalt		2,700	2,700
	3. Concrete		2,700	2,700
	4. Nonoperating		165	165
Sand and Gravel - Individual Permit
a.	Mining Activities
	1. Mining, screening, washing, and/or crushing		3,580	3,580
	2. Nonoperating		175	175
b.	Asphalt Production and Recycling
	1. 0 - < 50,000 tons per year		1,550	1,550
	2. 50,000 - < 300,000 tons per year		3,580	3,580
	3. 300,000 tons per year and greater		4,480	4,480
	4. Nonoperating		175	175
c.	Concrete Production and Recycling
	1. 0 - < 25,000 cubic yards per year		1,550	1,550
	2. 25,000 - < 200,000 cubic yards per year		3,580	3,580
	3. 200,000 cubic yards per year and greater		4,480	4,480
	4. Nonoperating		175	175
d.	Portable Facility
	1. Rock crushing		3,700	3,700
	2. Asphalt		3,700	3,700
	3. Concrete		3,700	3,700
	4. Nonoperating		200	200
	The sand and gravel annual fee is the sum of the applicable fees for the permitted activities.
Seafood Processing
a.	< 1,000 gpd		1,960	1,960
b.	1,000 - < 10,000 gpd		5,000	5,000
c.	10,000 - < 50,000 gpd		8,930	8,930
d.	50,000 - < 100,000 gpd		14,040	14,040
e.	100,000 gpd or greater		19,640	19,640
Shipyards
a.	Per crane, travel lift, small boat lift		4,820	4,820
b.	Per drydock under 250 feet in length		4,820	4,820
c.	Per graving dock		4,820	4,800
d.	Per marine way/ramp		7,230	7,230
e.	Per syncolift		7,230	7,230
f.	Per drydock 250 feet and over in length		9,640	9,640
g.	In-water vessel maintenance		9,640	9,640
	The shipyard annual fee is the sum of the fees for applicable subcategories.
Solid Waste Sites (nonstormwater)
a.	Nonputrescible		7,850	7,850
b.	< 50 acres		15,700	15,700
c.	50 - < 100 acres		31,410	31,410
d.	100 - < 250 acres		39,260	39,260
e.	250 acres and greater		58,900	58,900
Textile Mills			78,500	78,500
Timber Products
a.	Log Storage		3,930	3,930
b.	Veneer		7,850	7,850
c.	Sawmills		15,700	15,700
d.	Hardwood, Plywood		27,480	27,480
e.	Wood Preserving		37,700	37,700
Vegetable/Bulb Washing Facilities
a.	< 1,000 gpd		150	200
b.	1,000 - < 5,000 gpd		280	300
c.	5,000 - < 10,000 gpd		550	600
d.	10,000 - < 20,000 gpd		1,100	1,180
e.	20,000 gpd and greater		1,830	1,930
Vehicle Maintenance and Freight Transfer
a.	< 0.5 acre		3,930	3,930
b.	0.5 - < 1.0 acre		7,850	7,850
c.	1.0 acre and greater		11,780	11,780
Vessel Deconstruction
a.	Base Fee		3,160	3,160
b.	On land (per project)		3,550	3,550
c.	On barge or drydock (per project)		4,850	4,850
d.	In-Water (per project)		18,700	18,700
	The vessel deconstruction annual fee is the sum of the base fee and applicable subcategories.
Water Plants - General Permit			3,700	3,700
Water Plants - Individual Permit			5,300	5,300
Wineries - General Permit
a.	< 24,999 gpy		300	300
b.	25,000 - < 39,999 gpy		440	440
c.	40,000 - < 54,999 gpy		680	680
d.	55,000 - < 69,999 gpy		910	910
e.	70,000 - < 99,999 gpy		1,150	1,150
f.	100,000 - < 299,999 gpy		1,660	1,660
g.	300,000 - < 699,999 gpy		4,970	4,970
h.	700,000 - < 999,999 gpy		11,600	11,600
i.	1,000,000 - < 1,999,999 gpy		16,600	16,600
j.	2,000,000 gpy and greater		33,200	33,200
Wineries - Individual Permit
a.	< 24,999 gpy		430	430
b.	25,000 - < 39,999 gpy		630	630
c.	40,000 - < 54,999 gpy		960	960
d.	55,000 - < 69,999 gpy		1,300	1,300
e.	70,000 - < 99,999 gpy		1,650	1,650
f.	100,000 - < 299,999 gpy		2,370	2,370
g.	300,000 - < 699,999 gpy		7,110	7,110
h.	700,000 - < 999,999 gpy		16,600	16,600
i.	1,000,000 - < 1,999,999 gpy		23,760	23,760
j.	2,000,000 gpy and greater		47,000	47,000))

INDUSTRIAL FACILITY CATEGORIES				FY2026 ANNUAL PERMIT FEE	FY2027 ANNUAL PERMIT FEE
Aluminum Alloys				$23,750	$24,580
Aluminum and Magnesium Reduction Mills
a.	NPDES Permit - Operating facility			119,830	124,000
b.	State Permit - Operating facility			59,900	62,000
c.	NPDES Permit - Nonoperating facility			75,000	78,000
d.	State Permit - Nonoperating facility			40,000	43,000
Aluminum Forming
a.	Less than 1,000 gpd			5,000	5,000
b.	1,000 gpd or greater			79,000	81,000
Aquaculture
a.	Finfish hatching and rearing - General Permit			4,270	4,420
b.	Finfish hatching and rearing - Individual Permit			6,250	6,650
c.	Nonfinfish hatching and rearing - Individual Permit			6,250	6,650
Aquatic Pest Control Permits
a.	Aquatic & Invasive Species Control (State agencies permits)			8,250	8,550
b.	Aquatic Plant & Algae Management			530	565
c.	Irrigation System Aquatic Weed Control			760	800
d.	Mosquito Control			530	565
e.	Noxious Weed Control (State agencies permits)			8,500	9,000
f.	Oyster Growers			530	565
Boatyards - General Permit
a.	With stormwater only discharge			640	680
b.	All others			1,275	1,350
Boatyards - Individual Permit
a.	With stormwater only discharge			745	800
b.	All others			1,325	1,410
Bridge and Ferry Terminals Washing
a.	Single site Permit			4,460	4,740
b.	Multisite Permit
	1. 1 to 5 Facilities			6,580	7,000
	2. 6 to 10 Facilities			8,700	9,250
	3. 11 to 20 Facilities			11,150	11,850
c.	WSDOT Annual Fee			14,340	15,240
Coal Mining and Preparation
a.	Less than 200,000 tons per year			9,000	9,000
b.	200,000 to < 500,000 tons per year			20,500	20,500
c.	500,000 to < 1,000,000 tons per year			36,500	36,500
d.	1,000,000 tons per year and greater			68,500	68,500
Combined Industrial Waste Treatment
a.	Less than 10,000 gpd			4,100	4,240
b.	10,000 to < 50,000 gpd			10,140	10,500
c.	50,000 to < 100,000 gpd			20,300	21,000
d.	100,000 to < 500,000 gpd			41,000	42,000
e.	500,000 gpd and greater			60,300	61,800
Combined Food Processing Waste Treatment Facilities				22,300	24,500
Combined Sewer Overflow System
a.	Less than 50 acres			4,300	6,100
b.	50 to < 100 acres			10,800	15,340
c.	100 to < 500 acres			13,000	18,460
d.	500 acres and greater			17,270	30,000
Commercial Laundry				610	650
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) - Dairy GP				$0.64 per animal unit, not to exceed $4,000	$0.68 per animal unit, not to exceed $5,000
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) - Dairy IP				$0.82 per animal unit, not to exceed $7,000	$0.87 per animal unit, not to exceed $8,000
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) - General Permit
Size of CAFO by Animal Type and Animal Count		SMALL	MEDIUM	LARGE	EXTRA LARGE
FY2026 and FY2027 Annual Fee		$385	$1,650	$3,850	$5,850
a.	Veal Calves	Less than 300	300 to 999	1,000 to 3,499	3,500 or more
b.	Other Cattle	Less than 300	300 to 999	1,000 to 3,499	3,500 or more
c.	Swine (55 lbs or more)	Less than 700	700 to 2,499	2,500 to 7,999	8,000 or more
d.	Swine (less than 55 lbs)	Less than 3,000	3,000 to 9,999	10,000 to 29,999	30,000 or more
e.	Horses	Less than 150	151 to 499	500 to 1,499	1,500 or more
f.	Sheep and Lambs	Less than 3,000	3,001 to 9,999	10,000 to 39,999	40,000 or more
g.	Turkeys	Less than 16,500	16,500 to 54,999	55,000 to 199,999	200,000 or more
h.	Chickens, including laying hens or broilers, with liquid waste system	Less than 9,000	9,000 to 29,999	30,000 to 124,999	125,000 or more
i.	Chickens, other than layers, with dry waste system	Less than 25,000	25,000 to 81,999	82,000 to 299,999	300,000 or more
j.	Laying Hens, with dry waste system	Less than 25,000	25,000 to 81,999	82,000 to 299,999	300,000 or more
k.	Ducks, with liquid waste system	Less than 1,500	1,500 to 4,999	5,000 to 19,999	20,000 or more
l.	Ducks, with dry waste system	Less than 10,000	10,000 to 29,999	30,000 to 124,999	125,000 or more
m.	Other Species	As determined by Department	As determined by Department	As determined by Department	As determined by Department
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) - Individual Permit
Size of CAFO by Animal Count and Animal Type		SMALL	MEDIUM	LARGE	EXTRA LARGE
FY2026 and FY2027 Annual Fee		$7,500	$9,000	$10,500	$12,000
a.	Cattle and Veal Calves	Less than 300	300 to 999	1,000 to 12,249	12,250 or more
b.	Horses	Less than 150	150 to 499	500 to 2,499	2,500 or more
c.	Chickens & Laying Hens, with dry waste system	Less than 25,000	25,000 to 81,999	82,000 to 299,999	300,000 or more
d.	Other Species	As determined by Department	As determined by Department	As determined by Department	As determined by Department
Facilities Not Otherwise Classified
a.	Less than 1,000 gpd			2,070	2,200
b.	1,000 to < 10,000 gpd			4,180	4,440
c.	10,000 to < 50,000 gpd			10,420	11,070
d.	50,000 to < 100,000 gpd			16,700	17,750
e.	100,000 to < 500,000 gpd			33,200	35,280
f.	500,000 to < 1,000,000 gpd			41,700	44,300
g.	1,000,000 gpd and greater			62,500	66,420
Flavor Extraction
a.	Steam Distillation			250	270
Food Processing
a.	Less than 1,000 gpd			2,000	2,040
b.	1,000 to < 10,000 gpd			5,100	5,200
c.	10,000 to < 50,000 gpd			9,180	9,360
d.	50,000 to < 100,000 gpd			14,320	14,600
e.	100,000 to < 250,000 gpd			20,000	20,400
f.	250,000 to < 500,000 gpd			26,330	26,860
g.	500,000 to < 750,000 gpd			33,050	33,700
h.	750,000 to < 1,000,000 gpd			40,050	40,850
i.	1,000,000 to < 2,500,000 gpd			49,340	50,320
j.	2,500,000 to < 5,000,000 gpd			55,070	56,170
k.	5,000,000 gpd and greater			60,080	61,280
Fruit Packing - General Permit
a.	Less than 1,000 bins per year			285	295
b.	1,000 to < 5,000 bins per year			560	570
c.	5,000 to < 10,000 bins per year			1,125	1,150
d.	10,000 to < 15,000 bins per year			2,250	2,300
e.	15,000 to < 20,000 bins per year			3,710	3,780
f.	20,000 to < 25,000 bins per year			5,180	5,280
g.	25,000 to < 50,000 bins per year			6,940	7,080
h.	50,000 to < 75,000 bins per year			7,710	7,860
i.	75,000 to < 100,000 bins per year			8,970	9,150
j.	100,000 to < 125,000 bins per year			11,000	11,220
k.	125,000 to < 150,000 bins per year			13,800	14,080
l.	150,000 bins per year and greater			16,500	16,830
Fruit Packing - Individual Permit
a.	Less than 1,000 bins per year			400	400
b.	1,000 to < 5,000 bins per year			800	800
c.	5,000 to < 10,000 bins per year			1,600	1,600
d.	10,000 to < 15,000 bins per year			3,150	3,150
e.	15,000 to < 20,000 bins per year			5,200	5,200
f.	20,000 to < 25,000 bins per year			7,260	7,260
g.	25,000 to < 50,000 bins per year			9,700	9,700
h.	50,000 to < 75,000 bins per year			11,500	11,500
i.	75,000 to < 100,000 bins per year			13,500	13,500
j.	100,000 to < 125,000 bins per year			15,700	15,700
k.	125,000 to < 150,000 bins per year			19,650	19,650
l.	150,000 bins per year and greater			23,500	23,500
Fuel and Chemical Storage
a.	Less than 50,000 bbls			2,300	2,530
b.	50,000 to < 100,000 bbls			4,840	5,320
c.	100,000 to < 500,000 bbls			12,100	13,300
d.	500,000 bbls and greater			24,000	26,400
Hazardous Waste Cleanup Sites
a.	Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (LUST)			5,330	5,500
b.	1. State Permit			10,650	11,000
	2. NPDES Permit
c.	Non-LUST Sites
	1. 1 or 2 contaminants of concern			10,650	10,800
	2. 3 or 4 contaminants of concern			15,300	15,700
	3. 5 or more contaminants of concern			20,850	21,550
Ink Formulation and Printing
a.	Commercial Print Shops			3,120	3,230
b.	Newspapers			5,200	5,400
c.	Package Printing			8,340	8,630
d.	Ink Formulation			10,420	10,800
Inorganic Chemicals Manufacturing
a.	Lime Products			10,160	10,320
b.	Fertilizer			12,230	12,650
c.	Peroxide			16,250	16,800
d.	Alkaline Earth Salts			20,300	21,000
e.	Metal Salts			28,440	29,400
f.	Acid Manufacturing			40,300	41,700
g.	Chlor-alkali			81,300	84,100
Iron and Steel
a.	Foundries			23,700	24,500
b.	Mills			47,500	49,200
Metal Finishing
a.	Less than 1,000 gpd			2,890	3,030
b.	1,000 to < 10,000 gpd			4,820	5,060
c.	10,000 to < 50,000 gpd			12,050	12,650
d.	50,000 to < 100,000 gpd			24,100	25,300
e.	100,000 to < 500,000 gpd			48,200	50,600
f.	500,000 gpd and greater			72,280	75,900
Noncontact Cooling Water with Additives - General Permit
a.	Less than 1,000 gpd			900	900
b.	1,000 to < 10,000 gpd			1,800	1,800
c.	10,000 to < 50,000 gpd			2,700	2,700
d.	50,000 to < 100,000 gpd			6,300	6,300
e.	100,000 to < 500,000 gpd			10,800	10,800
f.	500,000 to < 1,000,000 gpd			15,300	15,300
g.	1,000,000 to < 2,500,000 gpd			19,850	19,850
h.	2,500,000 to < 5,000,000 gpd			24,400	24,400
i.	5,000,000 gpd and greater			28,900	28,900
Noncontact Cooling Water without Additives - General Permit
a.	Less than 1,000 gpd			700	700
b.	1,000 to < 10,000 gpd			1,500	1,500
c.	10,000 to < 50,000 gpd			3,000	3,000
d.	50,000 to < 100,000 gpd			6,000	6,000
e.	100,000 to < 500,000 gpd			9,000	9,000
f.	500,000 to < 1,000,000 gpd			12,000	12,000
g.	1,000,000 to < 2,500,000 gpd			15,000	15,000
h.	2,500,000 to < 5,000,000 gpd			18,000	18,000
i.	5,000,000 gpd and greater			22,000	22,000
Noncontact Cooling Water with Additives - Individual Permit
a.	Less than 1,000 gpd			1,270	1,310
b.	1,000 to < 10,000 gpd			2,070	2,140
c.	10,000 to < 50,000 gpd			3,800	3,900
d.	50,000 to < 100,000 gpd			9,000	9,000
e.	100,000 to < 500,000 gpd			15,000	15,500
f.	500,000 to < 1,000,000 gpd			21,000	21,500
g.	1,000,000 to < 2,500,000 gpd			27,000	27,500
h.	2,500,000 to < 5,000,000 gpd			33,000	33,500
i.	5,000,000 gpd and greater			40,000	40,500
Noncontact Cooling Water without Additives - Individual Permit
a.	Less than 1,000 gpd			1,020	1,050
b.	1,000 to < 10,000 gpd			2,030	2,100
c.	10,000 to < 50,000 gpd			3,050	3,200
d.	50,000 to < 100,000 gpd			7,100	7,350
e.	100,000 to < 500,000 gpd			12,200	12,600
f.	500,000 to < 1,000,000 gpd			17,250	17,850
g.	1,000,000 to < 2,500,000 gpd			22,250	23,000
h.	2,500,000 to < 5,000,000 gpd			27,400	28,300
i.	5,000,000 gpd and greater			32,500	33,600
Nonferrous Metals Forming				23,750	24,580
Ore Mining, Processing, Refining, Other
a.	Recreational mining < 500 pounds concentrate annually			500	500
b.	Operations in Care and Maintenance			10,000	10,000
c.	Reclamation - Long term monitoring			20,000	20,000
d.	Water treatment - With or without long term reclamation			40,000	40,000
e.	Active Sites - Operations or Reclamation			40,000	40,000
Organic Chemicals Manufacturing
a.	Fertilizer			20,080	21,340
b.	Aliphatic			42,080	44,720
c.	Aromatic			62,550	66,470
Petroleum Refining
a.	Less than 10,000 bbls per day			41,700	44,300
b.	10,000 to < 50,000 bbls per day			82,700	87,800
c.	50,000 bbls per day and greater			166,700	177,100
Photofinishers
a.	Less than 1,000 gpd			1,670	1,780
b.	1,000 and greater			4,150	4,400
Power and/or Steam Plants
a.	Steam generation - nonelectric			9,350	10,000
b.	Hydroelectric			9,350	10,000
c.	Nonfossil fuel			13,170	14,000
d.	Fossil fuel			35,000	35,000
Pulp, Paper, and Paper Board
a.	Fiber Recyclers/Nonwood Pulp Mills			15,000	15,000
b.	Paper Mills			40,000	40,800
c.	Groundwood Pulp Mills
	1. Less than 300 tons per day			60,080	61,280
	2. 300 tons per day or more			120,160	122,560
d.	Chemical Pulps Mills w/o chlorine bleaching			160,210	163,410
e.	Chemical Pulp Mills with chlorine bleaching			180,230	183,830
Radioactive Effluents and Discharges (RED)
a.	Less than 3 waste streams			40,550	40,550
b.	3 to < 8 waste streams			70,000	70,000
c.	8 waste streams and more			114,000	114,000
RCRA Corrective Action Sites				29,400	29,400
Sand and Gravel - General Permit
a.	Mining Activities
	1. Mining, screening, washing, and/or crushing			2,650	2,700
	2. Nonoperating			170	170
b.	Asphalt Production and Recycling
	1. Less than 5,000 tons per year			600	600
	2. 5,000 to < 50,000 tons per year			1,140	1,200
	3. 50,000 to < 300,000 tons per year			2,650	2,700
	4. 300,000 tons per year and greater			3,350	3,500
	5. Nonoperating			170	170
c.	Concrete Production and Recycling
	1. Less than 5,000 cubic yards per year			600	600
	2. 5,000 to < 25,000 cubic yards per year			1,140	1,200
	3. 25,000 to < 200,000 cubic yards per year			2,650	2,700
	4. 200,000 cubic yards per year and greater			3,350	3,500
	5. Nonoperating			170	170
d.	Portable Facility
	1. Rock Crushing			2,850	2,900
	2. Nonoperating			180	190
	3. Asphalt
	Less than 5,000 tons per year			800	800
	5,000 to < 50,000 tons per year			1,650	1,650
	50,000 to < 300,000 tons per year			2,850	2,900
	300,000 tons per year and greater			3,650	3,650
	Nonoperating			180	190
	4. Concrete
	Less than 5,000 cubic yards per year			800	800
	5,000 to < 25,000 cubic yards per year			1,650	1,650
	25,000 to < 200,000 cubic yards per year			2,850	2,900
	200,000 cubic yards per year and greater			3,650	3,650
	Nonoperating			180	190
e.	Reclamation Permit			300	300
Sand and Gravel - Individual Permit
a.	Mining Activities
	1. Mining, screening, washing, and/or crushing			3,600	3,600
	2. Nonoperating Mining			225	225
b.	Asphalt Production and Recycling
	1. Less than 5,000 tons per year			1,000	1,000
	2. 5,000 to < 50,000 tons per year			2,200	2,200
	3. 50,000 to < 300,000 tons per year			3,800	3,800
	4. 300,000 tons per year and greater			4,800	4,800
	5. Nonoperating Asphalt			225	225
c.	Concrete Production and Recycling
	1. Less than 5,000 cubic yards per year			1,000	1,000
	2. 5,000 to < 25,000 cubic yards per year			2,200	2,200
	3. 25,000 to < 200,000 cubic yards per year			3,800	3,800
	4. 200,000 cubic yards per year and greater			4,800	4,800
	5. Nonoperating Concrete			225	225
d.	Portable Facility
	1. Rock Crushing			3,950	3,950
	2. Nonoperating Rock Crushing			250	250
	3. Asphalt
	Less than 5,000 tons per year			1,200	1,200
	5,000 to < 50,000 tons per year			2,500	2,500
	50,000 to < 300,000 tons per year			3,950	3,950
	300,000 tons per year and greater			5,000	5,000
	Nonoperating Asphalt			250	250
	4. Concrete
	Less than 5,000 cubic yards per year			1,200	1,200
	5,000 to < 25,000 cubic yards per year			2,500	2,500
	25,000 to < 200,000 cubic yards per year			3,950	3,950
	200,000 cubic yards per year and greater			5,000	5,000
	5. Nonoperating Concrete			250	250
	The sand and gravel annual fee is the sum of the applicable fees for the permitted activities.
Seafood Processing
a.	Less than 1,000 gpd			2,050	2,150
b.	1,000 to < 7,000 gpd			5,300	5,600
c.	7,000 to < 15,000 gpd			8,000	8,500
d.	15,000 to < 30,000 gpd			9,500	10,100
e.	30,000 to < 50,000 gpd			12,000	12,500
f.	50,000 to < 100,000 gpd			14,500	15,000
g.	50,000 to < 100,000 gpd			16,500	17,500
h.	250,000 to < 500,000 gpd			19,640	20,500
i.	500,000 to < 1,000,000 gpd			21,000	22,000
j.	1,000,000 gpd and greater			24,000	25,000
Shipyards
a.	Per crane, travel lift, small boat lift			5,120	5,440
b.	Per drydock under 250 feet in length			5,120	5,440
c.	Per graving dock			5,120	5,440
d.	Per marine way/ramp			7,680	8,160
e.	Per syncolift			7,680	8,160
f.	Per drydock 250 feet and over in length			10,240	10,880
g.	In-water vessel maintenance			10,240	10,880
	The shipyard annual fee is the sum of the fees for applicable subcategories.
Solid Waste Sites (nonstormwater)
a.	Nonputrescible			8,000	8,000
b.	Less than 50 acres			15,700	15,700
c.	50 to < 100 acres			31,400	31,400
d.	100 to < 250 acres			41,700	44,400
e.	250 acres and greater			59,000	60,000
Textile Mills				79,000	79,000
Timber Products
a.	Log Storage			4,070	4,200
b.	Veneer			8,120	8,400
c.	Sawmills			16,250	16,800
d.	Hardwood, Plywood			28,400	29,400
e.	Wood Preserving			39,000	40,400
Vegetable/Bulb Washing Facilities
a.	Less than 1,000 gpd			220	235
b.	1,000 to < 5,000 gpd			320	340
c.	5,000 to < 10,000 gpd			640	680
d.	10,000 to < 20,000 gpd			1,260	1,330
e.	20,000 gpd and greater			2,060	2,170
Vehicle Maintenance and Freight Transfer
a.	Less than 0.5 acre			4,070	4,200
b.	0.5 to < 1.0 acre			8,120	8,400
c.	1.0 acre and greater			12,200	12,600
Vessel Deconstruction
a.	Base Fee			3,350	3,550
b.	On land (per project)			3,770	4,000
c.	On barge or drydock (per project)			5,150	5,450
d.	In-Water (per project)			18,700	18,700
	The vessel deconstruction annual fee is the sum of the base fee and applicable subcategories.
Water Plants - General Permit				3,930	4,170
Water Plants - Individual Permit				5,500	5,700
Wineries - General Permit
a.	Less than 24,999 gallons per year (gpy)			320	340
b.	25,000 to < 39,999 gpy			485	515
c.	40,000 to < 54,999 gpy			725	770
d.	55,000 to < 69,999 gpy			970	1,030
e.	70,000 to < 99,999 gpy			1,225	1,300
f.	100,000 to < 299,999 gpy			1,770	1,880
g.	300,000 to < 699,999 gpy			5,300	5,630
h.	700,000 to < 999,999 gpy			12,350	13,150
i.	1,000,000 to < 1,999,999 gpy			17,700	18,800
j.	2,000,000 gpy and greater			35,400	37,600
Wineries - Individual Permit
a.	Less than 24,999 gallons per year (gpy)			450	465
b.	25,000 to < 39,999 gpy			650	675
c.	40,000 to < 54,999 gpy			1,000	1,040
d.	55,000 to < 69,999 gpy			1,350	1,400
e.	70,000 to < 99,999 gpy			1,700	1,760
f.	100,000 to < 299,999 gpy			2,450	2,520
g.	300,000 to < 699,999 gpy			7,350	7,600
h.	700,000 to < 999,999 gpy			17,100	17,700
i.	1,000,000 to < 1,999,999 gpy			24,600	25,500
j.	2,000,000 gpy and greater			47,000	47,000

(a) Facilities are assessed a fee or fees that best aligns with the category and subcategory relevant to their water quality discharge. Except for CAFO, RCRA, sand and gravel, shipyard, and vessel deconstruction that operate within multiple fee subcategories, if the facility fits within several categories or subcategories, then the permit holder is assessed the highest fee.

(b) CAFO, fruit packing, sand and gravel, vessel deconstruction and winery permit holders must submit information to the department certifying annual unit amounts or production during the previous calendar year. The permit holder must submit the information to the department by the required due date. Failure to provide this information will result in a fee determination based on the highest subcategory for which the facility has received permit coverage.

(i) For a corporation, by an authorized corporate officer;

(ii) For a limited partnership, by an authorized partner;

(iii) For a general partnership, by an authorized general partner; or

(iv) For a sole proprietorship, by the proprietor.

(d) The department may verify information submitted and, if it determines that false statements have been made, it will, revise both current and previously granted fee determinations as appropriate, in addition to taking other actions provided by law.

(e) Fees for fruit packing facilities discharging only noncontact cooling water without additives shall pay the lesser of the applicable fee in the fruit packing or noncontact cooling water without additives categories. Any ((inactive)) fruit packing facility with an inactive permit status shall be assessed the lowest bin per year fee or lowest noncontact cooling water fee, as determined by the department.

(f) Where no clear industrial facility category exists for placement of a permit holder, the department will place the permit holder in a category with dischargers or permit holders that contain or use similar properties or processes or a category that contains similar permitting complexities. If no such category exists, the department will assess the minimum permit fee as specified in this section, until an appropriate permit fee category can be added to the rule.

(g) Hazardous waste cleanup sites and EPA authorized RCRA corrective action sites where the department has begun cost recovery through chapter 70A.305 RCW shall not pay an annual permit fee under this chapter until such time as the cost recovery under chapter 70A.305 RCW ceases.

(h) Any permit holder (with the exception of ((nonoperating portable facilities and fruit packing operations))those fee categories that already take nonoperation or reduced discharge into consideration), who has not been ((in continuous operation))discharging within a consecutive 18-month period to include the assessed fiscal year or who commits to not ((being in operation))discharging for a consecutive 18-month period or longer may request a rate reduction of their annual permit fee ((be reduced to the inactive rate)) by submitting the required request form. The ((inactive))full annual rate ((is 25))may be reduced to no less than 35 percent of the annual permit fee that would otherwise be assessed, as determined by the department. The department may also deny a request for the reduced rate, if the request does not allow the department to fully recover program costs per RCW 90.48.465(1), and/or the permit includes other conditions besides discharge. The ((inactive))discharge and permit conditions status may be verified by the appropriate department staff. After the ((inactive))reduced rate fee status for the 18-month period ends, the permit fee returns to the full amount. The permit holder must submit another request form to extend the ((inactive))reduced rate fee for another 18 months.

If a permit holder resumes ((operations))discharging or the site circumstances that resulted in a reduced fee change during the 18-month ((inactive status))period, the full permit fee is due for that fiscal year. The ((inactive))reduced rate fee paid, will be applied to the full fee due.

(i) Facilities with subcategories based on gallons per day (gpd) shall have their annual permit fee determined by using the design maximum, maximum daily flow, or maximum monthly average permitted flow in gallons per day as specified in the waste discharge permit, whichever is greater.

(j) RCRA corrective action sites requiring a waste discharge permit are assessed a separate annual permit fee regardless of whether the discharge is authorized by a separate permit or by a modification to an existing permit for a discharge other than that resulting from the corrective action.

(4) MUNICIPAL AND DOMESTIC WASTEWATER FACILITIES ANNUAL PERMIT FEE SCHEDULE

The following municipal and domestic wastewater facilities must pay an annual permit fee as follows:

(a) The annual permit fee for a permit held by a municipality or federally recognized tribe for a domestic wastewater facility issued under RCW 90.48.162 or 90.48.260 is determined as follows:

Residential Equivalents (RE)	FY((2024))2026 Permit Fee	FY((2025))2027 Permit Fee
The annual fee is calculated by multiplying the number of REs by the FY per RE rate, for permit holders with 100 or more REs
For permit holders with less than 100 REs, a flat fee will be assessed
Less than 100 REs (Minimum Muni WW Fee)	(($250))$275 flat fee	(($250))$275 flat fee
100 and more REs
((<))Less than 250,000 REs	(($3.43))$3.60 per RE	(($3.43))$3.78 per RE
Greater than 250,000 REs	(($3.43))$3.50 per RE	(($3.43))$3.57 per RE

(b) The annual permit fee for privately owned or public-owned domestic wastewater and reclaimed water facilities (that do not primarily serve residential customers) and for state-owned domestic wastewater and reclaimed water facilities is determined by using the design flow, or maximum daily flow or maximum monthly average permitted flow in million gallons per day, whichever is greater, as specified in the waste discharge permit. The annual flow-based fees for ((flow-based))wastewater and reclaimed water facilities are as follows:

((Tiered Flow-Based Fee	FY2024 Annual Permit Fee	FY2025 Annual Permit Fee
.1 MGD and greater	$12,000	$12,000
.05 MGD - < .1 MGD	$6,000	$6,000
.01 MGD - < .05 MGD	$3,000	$3,000
.005 MGD - < .01 MGD	$1,500	$1,500
.001 MGD - < .005 MGD	$750	$750
Less than .001 MGD	$375	$375))

Tiered Flow-Based Fee	FY2026 Annual Permit Fee	FY2027 Annual Permit Fee
15 MGD and greater	$40,000	$41,000
10 MGD to < 15 MGD	$30,000	$30,800
5 MGD to < 10 MGD	$25,000	$25,600
1 MGD to < 5 MGD	$20,000	$20,500
.1 MGD to < 1 MGD	$10,620	$11,150
.05 MGD to < .1 MGD	$6,370	$6,700
.01 MGD to < .05 MGD	$3,180	$3,340
.005 MGD to < .01 MGD	$1,600	$1,680
.001 MGD to < .005 MGD	$800	$840
Less than .001 MGD	$400	$420

(c) Instructions for calculating residential equivalents and reporting flow under (a) of this subsection are provided on annual forms sent by the department to permit holders each year. Permit holders are required to complete and return the forms and any required back-up documentation to the department by the specified due date. Failure to return the annual form and any required back-up documentation will result in a permit fee as determined by the department.

(i) The annual forms must include a signature certifying the provided information is correct:

(A) For a corporation, by an authorized corporate officer;

(B) For a limited partnership, by an authorized partner;

(D) For a sole proprietorship, by the proprietor; or

(E) For a municipal or other public facility, by either a ranking elected official or a principal executive officer.

(ii) The department may verify the information contained in the submitted documentation and, if it determines that the permit holder has made false statements, will, revise both current and previously granted fee determinations as appropriate, in addition to taking other actions provided by law.

(d) The annual permit fee for a domestic wastewater facility with a Puget Sound nutrient ((general)) permit will be calculated at the rate of $0.31 per residential equivalent per year or the (($250))$275 minimum wastewater fee described in this section, as determined by the department. The number of residential equivalents will be calculated based on information provided on the forms required in this section.

(5) CONSTRUCTION AND INDUSTRIAL STORMWATER ANNUAL PERMIT FEE SCHEDULE

(a) Unless specifically addressed elsewhere in this section, the following construction and industrial stormwater permit holders must pay an annual permit fee as follows:

		((FY204 Annual Permit Fee	FY2025 Annual Permit Fee
a. Construction and Industrial Stormwater - Individual Permits
	1. < 50 acres	$6,250	$6,350
	2. 50 - < 100 acres	12,500	12,750
	3. 100 - < 500 acres	18,730	19,030
	4. 500 acres and greater	25,500	26,000
b. Industrial Stormwater General Permit (ISGP)
	1. Municipalities and state agencies	2,100	2,100
	2. New permit holders who have not previously submitted an annual gross revenue form	1,100	1,100
	3. All other ISGP permit holders will have a fee based on the annual gross revenue reporting
	Gross Revenue Subcategories
	Less than $100,000	200	200
	$100,000 - < $500,000	500	500
	$500,000 - < $1,000,000	750	750
	$1,000,000 - < $2,500,000	1,020	1,020
	$2,500,000 - < $5,000,000	1,700	1,700
	$5,000,000 - < $10,000,000	2,540	2,540
	$10,000,000 - < $15,000,000	3,020	3,020
	$15,000,000 - < $20,000,000	3,250	3,250
	$20,000,000 and greater	3,400	3,400
c. Construction Stormwater General Permit (CSWGP)
	1. Less than 1 acre	500	500
	2. 1 - < 5 acres	780	780
	3. 5 - < 7 acres	1,280	1,280
	4. 7 - < 10 acres	1,720	1,720
	5. 10 - < 20 acres	2,350	2,350
	6. 20 - < 50 acres	2,920	2,920
	7. 50 - < 100 acres	3,100	3,100
	8. 100 - < 500 acres	3,300	3,300
	9. 500 - < 1,000 acres	3,500	3,500
	10. 1,000 and more acres	3,700	3,700))

		FY2026 Annual Permit Fee	FY2027 Annual Permit Fee
a. Construction Stormwater - Individual Permits
	Disturbed Acreage
	1. < 10 acres	$2,000	$2,000
	2. 10 to < 50 acres	3,500	3,500
	3. 50 to < 250 acres	5,000	5,000
	4. 250 acres and greater	6,500	6,500
b. Industrial Stormwater - Individual Permits
	Acreage
	1. < 50 acres	$7,000	7,700
	2. 50 to < 100 acres	14,000	15,500
	3. 100 to < 500 acres	21,000	23,100
	4. 500 to < 1000 acres	28,500	31,300
	5. 1000 acres and greater	33,000	36,000
c. Construction Stormwater General Permit (CSWGP)
	1. Less than 1 acre	525	550
	2. 1 to < 5 acres	820	850
	3. 5 to < 7 acres	1,350	1,400
	4. 7 to < 10 acres	1,830	1,940
	5. 10 to < 20 acres	2,500	2,650
	6. 20 to < 50 acres	3,100	3,200
	7. 50 to < 100 acres	3,300	3,450
	8. 100 to < 500 acres	3,500	3,700
	9. 500 to < 1,000 acres	3,750	4,000
	10. 1,000 and more acres	4,000	4,200
d. Industrial Stormwater General Permit (ISGP)
	1. Municipalities and state agencies	2,230	2,370
	2. All other ISGP permit holders will have a fee based on the annual gross revenue reporting
	Gross Revenue Subcategories
	Less than $100,000	210	220
	$100,000 to < $500,000	525	550
	$500,000 to < $1,000,000	785	810
	$1,000,000 to < $2,500,000	1,070	1,100
	$2,500,000 to < $5,000,000	1,800	1,880
	$5,000,000 to < $10,000,000	2,700	2,800
	$10,000,000 to < $15,000,000	3,200	3,400
	$15,000,000 to < $20,000,000	3,450	3,650
	$20,000,000 and greater	3,640	3,900

(b) For industrial stormwater general permit holders assessed fees based on gross revenue, the permit holder must provide gross revenue information on the required form annually. Forms will be provided annually by the department and with a specified due date. Failure to provide this information will result in a fee determination based on the highest subcategory for which the facility has permit coverage. Submitted forms must include a signature certifying the provided information is correct:

(i) For a corporation, by an authorized corporate officer;

(ii) For a limited partnership, by an authorized general partner;

(iii) For a general partnership, by an authorized partner; or

(iv) For a sole proprietorship, by the proprietor.

(c) The department may verify the information contained in the submitted documentation and, if it determines that the permit holder has made false statements, will revise both current and previous granted fee determinations as appropriate in addition to taking other actions provided by law.

(6) MUNICIPAL STORMWATER ANNUAL PERMIT FEE SCHEDULE

(a) Municipal stormwater phase 1 general permit holders must pay an annual permit fee as follows:

Name of Entity	FY((2024))2026 Annual Permit Fee	FY((2025))2027 Annual Permit Fee
Clark County	(($72,665))$78,500	(($76,916))$80,000
King County	((72,665))$78,500	((76,916))$80,000
Pierce County	((72,665))$78,500	((76,916))$80,000
Seattle, City of	((72,665))$78,500	((76,916))$80,000
Snohomish County	((72,665))$78,500	((76,916))$80,000
Tacoma, City of	((72,665))$78,500	((76,916))$80,000
WSDOT	((72,665))$78,500	((76,916))$80,000

(b) Municipal stormwater phase 2 general permit holders pay a fee for fiscal year ((2024))2026 and ((2025))2027 based on the most recently available census estimations for median household income for cities and counties as follows:

(i) For cities and counties with a median household income level above the state average, the annual permit fee is (($2.04))$2.08 in fiscal year 2026 and $2.10 in fiscal year 2027 per housing unit inside the geographic area covered by the permit, with a not-to-exceed amount of (($72,665))$78,500 in fiscal year ((2024))2026, and (($76,916))$80,000 in fiscal year ((2025))2027. The minimum annual permit fee is $3,000.

(ii) For cities and counties with a median household income level below the state average, the annual permit fee is (($1.04))$1.06 in fiscal year 2026 and $1.08 in fiscal year 2027 per housing unit inside the geographic area covered by the permit. The minimum annual permit fee is (($150))$165.

(c) Other entities (phase 1 and 2 secondary facilities) with a municipal stormwater general permit must pay an annual permit fee ((based on the entities' previous calendar year annual operating budget for the facilities covered under the stormwater permit as follows:))of $1,100 for FY2026, and $1,100 for FY2027.

((Other Entities' Annual Stormwater Facility Operating Budget	FY2024 Annual Permit Fee	FY2025 Annual Permit Fee
Less than $100,000	$200	$200
$100,000 - < $1,000,000	805	805
$1,000,000 - < $5,000,000	2,010	2,010
$5,000,000 - < $10,000,000	3,020	3,020
$10,000,000 and greater	5,024	5,024))

(d) Stormwater permit holders assessed fees under (b) of this subsection must complete an annual form provided by department, certifying the number of housing units served by their system. ((Permit holders under (c) of this subsection must complete an annual form provided by the department supplying their annual operating budget. The forms must be completed and returned to the department annually within the time frame specified on the forms. Failure to return the form will result in an annual permit fee as determined by the department.))

(e) One annual permit fee will be assessed for entities that apply as copermittees or coapplicants and are assigned one permit number. The annual permit fee will be equal to the highest single permit fee that would have been assessed if the copermittees had applied separately. The copermittee responsible for paying annual permit fees will be identified in the permit.