King County permits for treating and conveying water resources and compliance recognition
King County conveys treated water to Puget Sound and to recycled water beneficial uses from its regional wastewater conveyance and treatment system under permits issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) and King County Department of Health.
View more photos on our Flickr site .
Permits and awards
Contact us
Please contact Wastewater Treatment Division NPDES administrator Jeff Lafer at
206-477-6315.
Other NPDES permits held by King County
Ecology administers NPDES permits under authority delegated to the department by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These permits outline the conditions under which King County can discharge treated wastewater.
Brightwater Treatment Plant: WA0032247, expires February 28, 2023
South Treatment Plant: WA0029581, expires July 31, 2020
West Point Treatment Plant: WA0029181, expires January 1, 2020
Carnation Treatment Plant: WA0032182, expires October 31, 2026
- Facility summary
- Permit (includes reclaimed water)
- Fact sheet
Vashon Treatment Plant: WA0022527, expires Feb. 28, 2022
- Facility summary
- Permit
- Fact sheet
- Note: the Beulah Park wastewater treatment system, located on Vashon Island, is a large on-site sewage system (LOSS) and operates under a permit from the State Department of Health, permit # KIN005 . This permit is renewed on an annual basis in October of each year.
Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit: effective Jan. 1, 2022; expires Dec. 31, 2026
- Permit
- Fact sheet
- Note: The Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit is applicable only to King County’s four wastewater treatment plants that discharge directly to Puget Sound (i.e., West Point, South, Brightwater, and Vashon). King County submitted its initial applications, and obtained coverage under this permit for the four plants in March 2022.
For more information, visit the Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit (Department of Ecology).
Learn more about reclaimed water .
Brightwater Treatment Plant: ST0045498, expires April 30, 2024
South Treatment Plant: ST7445, expires July 31, 2020
Carnation Treatment Plant: expires Dec 31, 2018
- Combined with NPDES permit above
National Association of Clean Water Agencies' (NACWA) Peak Performance Awards program recognizes NACWA member agency facilities for excellence in wastewater treatment as measured by their compliance with their National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits.
2021 Awards:
- Brightwater Treatment Plant: Platinum 5
- Carnation Treatment Plant: Silver
- South Treatment Plant: Gold
- Vashon Treatment Plant: Platinum 11
- West Point Treatment Plant: Gold