Fees and surcharges

N/A = not applicable

Up to $10,000 per violation per day, depending on the nature of the violation.

• Issuance fees for permits and authorizations
  Issuance fees recover the cost of reviewing the application and issuing a permit or discharge authorization to send industrial waste to the sanitary sewer system. The permit or discharge authorization lasts up to five years. This fee is not refundable and must be paid even if project plans change and a facility no longer intends to discharge to the sewer system.
• Compliance monitoring and administration fees
  This annual fee pays for the cost of inspections, sampling time, lab analyses, data review, overall management of the permit or authorization, administrative tasks, and technical assistance.
• Surcharge Treatment fees for high-strength waste
  Facilities that send “high-strength” or more concentrated waste to the sewer system pay an extra surcharge based on how much material is in their wastewater. High-strength waste contains a higher concentration of total suspended solids (TSS) and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) than typical wastewater. BOD is a measure of organic material that uses up oxygen in the water. The surcharge fee covers the cost of treating this high-strength waste at the treatment plants.
• Post-Violation Inspection and Monitoring Program (PVIMP) fees
  Facilities that violate the regulations are required to reimburse King County for the costs associated with the violation. PVIMP fees include the costs of preparing enforcement documents, performing inspections, conducting sampling and laboratory analysis associated with the violation. Based on King County Code, the Wastewater Treatment Division seeks to recover the full cost associated with violations from those facilities that violate the rules.

King County Code specifies an appeal procedure for compliance, monitoring and administration tier placement, surcharge waste strength, violations, and penalties.

To appeal the surcharge high-strength concentration, facilities must establish that the assigned concentration of the wastewater is incorrect. Consult with the assigned KCIW compliance investigator to learn more about this process.

KCIW provides appeal procedures to those being fined when it provides the Enforcement Action document.

No. Issuance fees are designed to recover the cost of reviewing the application and issuing the approval. The fee is billed when the facility receives the permit or authorization. It is not refundable because it is charging for work that has already been performed.

As a facility, you pay both industrial waste fees and sewer use rates. King County treats the sewage from 34 local sewage agencies at five treatment plants. The local agencies bill residents and businesses for sewer use, which pays for the costs of conveying and treating wastewater, and industrial waste fees, which pay for program costs associated with monitoring and administering the pretreatment program.

King County directly charges a capacity charge for new connections to the system. The capacity charge helps King County cover the cost of sewer improvements and expansion projects needed to serve growth in the region. You can find more information about King County sewer charges by reading the Rate Payer Report.

You can pay the following Industrial Waste fees and charges online – follow the instructions on your invoice:

• Permit issuance fees 
• Post-violation inspection and monitoring program (PVIMP) charges
• Penalties 

You cannot pay the following Industrial Waste fees online – your Local Sewer Agency will continue to bill you for these IW fees:

• Compliance monitoring and administration fees 
• High-strength surcharge treatment fees