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Ecology home | 2021 Legislative Report: Wastewater and Stormwater Discharge Permit Fee Program

 Last revised: April 4, 2024

The Municipal Wastewater Permit Fees Advisory Committee will create recommendations for adjusting the fee schedule for permits authorized by RCW 90.48.162 and RCW 90.48.165.

In the 2022 legislative session, the state legislature passed SB 5585, which removes the cap on municipal wastewater discharge permit fees. This bill directs the Department of Ecology to facilitate a stakeholder advisory committee to address the needs of our permittees, analyze Ecology’s permit managers’ workloads, and ultimately create recommendations that Ecology must use as the basis for updates in 2025 to the relevant Water Quality Permit fees set in chapter 173-224 WAC. These fees are described in Section (3)(a) of the current WAC 173-224-040 Permit fee schedule. 

Section 3 of SB 5585 states that in 2025 Ecology's biennial progress report must include the implementation of a revised fee structure and information demonstrating progress towards reducing the wastewater discharge permit backlog to no more than 40% by July 1, 2025. The advisory committee's goal is to collaboratively determine a fee structure that reduces our permit backlog and provides our permittees with the support they need.

Ecology will present this committee's recommendations to the legislature in the 2025 legislative session. 

Submit Comments:

If you have questions or would like to submit comments about the Municipal Wastewater Permit Fees Advisory Committee, please contact Leslie Connelly at ECYReWQPMO@ecy.wa.gov. 

Past Meetings:

Orientation Meeting

• Orientation presentation slides
• Advisory Committee Ground Rules & Decision Making Document
• Committee Roster

Friday, July 15th, 2022 -- Kickoff Meeting

10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Lacey Community Center
6729 Pacific Ave SE, Lacey, WA 98503

• Agenda
• Committee Orientation Document
• Kickoff Meeting Notes
• Kickoff Presentation Slides
• Muni WWTP Process Improvement Team Report
• Advisory Committee Ground Rules & Decision Making Document

Monday, August 8, 2022 -- Meeting 2

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Location: Zoom

• Agenda
  • Approval of Meeting Minutes
  • Follow-Up: Questions Asked & Answered
  • Continued Discussion about Staffing Levels

• Meeting 2 Presentation Slides
• Meeting 2 Notes
• Muni WWTP Process Improvement Team Report

Monday, August 22, 2022 -- Meeting 3

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: Zoom

• Agenda
  • Approval of Meeting Minutes
  • Monitoring Our Progress
  • Statewide Strategic Guidance
  • Vote on 10:1 Staffing Level
  • Staffing Up Now
  • Phase 2: Fee Schedule Recommendation

• Meeting 3 Presentation Slides
• Meeting 3 Notes

Tuesday, September 6, 2022 -- Meeting 4

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Location: Zoom

•  Agenda 
  • Approval of Meeting Minutes
  • Revenue Target
  • How Would 10:1 Change the Current Fee Structure?
  • Different Ways Fees are Structured
  • Your Feedback on Fee Structure
    • Structure
    • Phasing In
    • Fairness

• Meeting 4 Presentation Slides
• Meeting 4 Notes

Monday, September 19, 2022 -- Meeting 5

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: Zoom

• Agenda
  • Approval of Meeting Minutes
  • REU vs. Flow
  • Categories

• Meeting 5 Presentation Slides
• Meeting 5 Notes

Monday, October 3, 2022 -- Meeting 6

1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Location: Zoom

• Agenda
  • Approval of Meeting Minutes
  • Rate Philosophy
  • How are REs calculated?
  • REs vs. Actual Flow
  • Minimum Permit Fee

• Meeting 6 Presentation Slides
• Meeting 6 Notes

Monday, October 17, 2022 -- Meeting 7

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Location: Zoom

• Agenda
  • Approval of Meeting Minutes
  • 6 Fee Scenarios to Reach $8.7 Million
  • Pros and Cons of Fee Structure Scenarios
  • Next Steps

• Meeting 7 Presentation Slides
• Meeting 7 Notes

Monday, October 31, 2022 -- Meeting 8

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Location: Zoom

• Agenda
  • Approval of Meeting Minutes
  • Drafting a Recommendation: Problems We Encountered
  • Alternative Fee Structures
  • Decision Making
  • Communication Tools
  • Next Steps

• Meeting 8 Presentation Slides
• Meeting 8 Notes

Monday, November 28, 2022 -- Meeting 9

9:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Location: Zoom

• Agenda
  • Approval of Meeting Minutes
  • Final Recommendations and Decisions Document Review
  • Communication Tools
  • Outstanding Items
  • Confirming Future Plans / Next Steps
  • Closing

• Meeting 9 Presentation
• Meeting 9 Notes
• Final Recommendations and Decisions Document
• Revised (with edits) Final Recommendations and Decisions Document

Program contacts:

Leslie Connelly - Water Quality Strategic Planning & Emerging Issues Section Manager
Municipal Wastewater Permit Fees Advisory Committee Facilitator
leslie.connelly@ecy.wa.gov
(360) 628-4381 mobile

Emma Froembling - Assistant Program Planner and Performance Coordinator
Municipal Wastewater Permit Fees Advisory Committee Facilitation Support
emma.froembling@ecy.wa.gov 
(564) 669-3896 mobile 

Seb Genge - Administrative Assistant to the Deputy Program Manager
seb.genge@ecy.wa.gov
(564) 669-8971