SENATE BILL REPORT

ESHB 571

BYHouse Committee on Environmental Affairs (originally sponsored by Representatives Grant, Hankins, Jesernig, Prince, Rayburn, Nealey, Brooks, Brough, L. Smith, D. Sommers, May and Miller)

Permitting municipalities to discharge from municipal water treatment plants if the intake is from the same body of water as the discharge and water quality standards remain high.

House Committe on Environmental Affairs

Senate Committee on Parks & Ecology

Senate Hearing Date(s):March 24, 1987; March 26, 1987

Majority Report:     Do pass.

     Signed by Senators Kreidler, Chairman; Bluechel, Hansen, Kiskaddon.

Senate Staff:Henry Yates (786-7708)

                March 26, 1987

AS REPORTED BY COMMITTEE ON PARKS & ECOLOGY, MARCH 26, 1987

BACKGROUND:

State law requires that regardless of the quality of water or water quality standards, wastes must be treated with all known, available and reasonable methods before being discharged.

Many municipalities in the state, as well as some industrial facilities, extract large quantities of water for drinking and other purposes and clean it through settling and then use filtration.  Chlorine, alum and polymers are typically added.  The filters are cleaned by washing them with "clean" water.  This water is then placed in a settling pond.  The "settled" material must be taken to a landfill or disposed of using some other acceptable land disposal technique.  Some local governments and industries claim the materials which initially settle and are removed from the filter should be allowed to be put back into the river untreated, because the material was there when the water came into the facility.

Several communities in the state have complied with the requirement that all "known, available and reasonable treatment be used before discharge back into "waters of the state".  Others, specifically, Castle Rock, Longview, Anacortes and Pasco, claim because of cost and the fact that there may not be a water quality benefit, they should not have to comply with this mandate.  Currently, because of pending court appeals or Department of Ecology administrative relief, these communities are not required to treat the filter backwash water through a settling process.  The material that is initially settled from the water taken into the facility is also put back into the river.

SUMMARY:

Standards for discharges from municipal water treatment plants located on the Chehalis, Columbia, Cowlitz, Lewis or Skagit Rivers are to be adjusted to reflect credit for substances removed when certain criteria are met.  If the municipality is discharging water into its initial source, a credit may be allowed.  Also, the municipality must demonstrate that water quality standards will not be violated or appreciable environmental degradation result.

Fiscal Note:    available

Senate Committee - Testified:   Carol Jolly, Department of Ecology; Jim Rice, Mayor, City of Anacortes; Dave Ford, City of Anacortes; Nelson Graham, City of Longview; Skip Dunlap, City of Longview; Gary Crutchfield, City of Pasco; Gred Rubstello, City of Pasco, Whittier Johnson, Fisheries