New safeguards added to West Point permit

Washington State Department of Ecology

Department of Ecology News Release - June 22, 2009

09-149

New safeguards added to West Point permit

BELLEVUE – The Department of Ecology (Ecology) today issued a renewed discharge permit that includes some more stringent requirements for Washington's largest municipal wastewater treatment plant. The five-year discharge permit for King County's West Point wastewater treatment plant and combined sewer overflow (CSO) system is a key tool to provide critical water-quality protection for Puget Sound.

“Wastewater treatment is a critical bulwark in protecting Puget Sound and all other state waters,” said Kelly Susewind, who manages Ecology's water quality program. “The plants operate under permits that set conditions based on the standards and requirements in our clean water laws and regulations. The permit ensures that the sewage that comes into the plant goes out as treated water suitable for release to Puget Sound.”

The West Point plant serves 1.3 million people living and working in 14 cities and sewer districts in parts of King and southern Snohomish counties. The facility treats an average of approximately 100 million gallons of incoming sewage per day. Treatment plant permits last for five years.

Older sections of Seattle have a single combined sewer system that carries sewage and stormwater. CSO storage and treatment systems manage high flows that result from storms, to prevent or reduce releases of untreated combined sewage and stormwater. The permit contains updated schedules for implementing projects to reduce overflows.

The permit includes King County's CSO facilities, which include four CSO storage and treatment facilities (Alki, Carkeek, Elliott West, and Henderson/MLK) and 38 individual CSO outfalls.

The permit comes as Ecology conducts several studies and plans to support long-range goals to restore and protect Puget Sound. Ecology has decided to move ahead with this improved permit while conducting these long-range studies in order to keep the permit current with the emerging science.

“A single permit is not the tool to carry out broader water-quality strategies.” said Susewind. “Several studies now under way for the Puget Sound Initiative will provide information that could lead to new or changed strategies. Permit changes would come at that point, when it's time to implement such changes, and not only at West Point.”

If findings from one of these studies – on low dissolved oxygen problems in southern Puget Sound waters – point to West Point as a significant contributor, the renewed permit would require King County to propose changes to further improve its discharge. Susewind added that Ecology can update the treatment plant permits based on new findings, before the standard five-year cycles expire.

Other new or updated provisions in the renewed permit include:

Requires more reliable disinfection of treated wastewater at West Point.
Sets more stringent limits on fecal coliform bacteria and chlorine from CSO treatment plants.
Adds pH -- acidity and alkalinity -- limits for CSO treatment plant discharges.
Requires increased monitoring of contaminants in the West Point discharge and how these affect Puget Sound water and sediments.
Adds requirements to track the input of industrial chemicals into the sewer system.

Puget Sound studies currently under way that could affect future permits for West Point and other treatment plants include:

Controlling nutrient pollution to maintain dissolved oxygen levels:

South Sound Dissolved Oxygen Study. This research includes King County's wastewater treatment plants. It examines how various sources of nitrogen and phosphorus affect dissolved oxygen levels. These pollutants feed processes that use up oxygen that fish and other marine life need to live. Preliminary results are due in later this year, with a final report in 2010.
An economic and technology study will evaluate the costs and benefits of available technologies that can reduce nitrogen and phosphorus in treated wastewater.

Toxics and pharmaceuticals:

A study – due later this year – will assess the presence of pharmaceuticals and endocrine disruptors (which interfere with biological reproduction).
An evaluation – due in about one year – will report on the concentrations of toxic compounds released by treatment plants.

Mixing zones:

A recent study of approaches in several states, found Washington's mixing zone standards among the most stringent in the nation. Mixing zones – allowed under Washington state regulations – are limited areas where water quality standards may be exceeded.
Ecology is assessing the use of all mixing zones allowed in active permits.

To learn more about protecting water quality protection in Puget Sound, please visit www.ecy.wa.gov/puget_sound/index.html.

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Media Contacts:
Larry Altose, Ecology media relations, 425-649-7009; pager 206-663-1785
Mark Henley, Ecology permit manager for West Point, 425-649-7103; mahe461@ecy.wa.gov

For more information:
Water quality permits in Ecology's Northwest Region: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/permits/northwest_permits.html

Puget Sound Water Quality: www.ecy.wa.gov/puget_sound/index.html

South Sound Dissolved Oxygen Study: www.ecy.wa.gov/puget_sound/dissolved_oxygen_study.html

Control of Toxic Chemicals in Puget Sound: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/pstoxics/index.html