State Waste Discharge Permits

The purpose of the State wastewater discharge permit program (WAC 173-216) is to implement a state permit program applicable to the discharge of waste materials from industrial, commercial, and municipal operations into ground and surface waters of the state and into municipal sewerage systems. However, this regulation does not apply to discharges regulated by the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit Program or discharge of pollutants into waters of the state regulated by the waste discharge general permit program. Some examples of categories of Ecology’s Washington General permits (WAG) (WAC 173-226) are dischargers like concrete batch plants, seafood processors, dairy farms, etc.

To view each permit click on the individual links below.

Waste Water Discharge

At Hanford, the four state wastewater discharge permits are described below:

ST-4500 • 200 Area Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) (Permit Number ST- 4500): 

The Effluent Treatment Facility (ETF) is located in the 200 East Area of the Hanford Site. The ETF influent consists of individual waste streams from many Hanford facilities. Major sources include process condensate from the 242-A Evaporator, and leachate from land waste disposal sites. Most liquid waste streams to be treated at ETF are initially stored at the Liquid Effluent Retention Basin (LERF), located near the ETF. The treated effluent is sent to the State Approved Land Disposal Site (SALDS). SALDS is located north of the 200 West Area. Its location was selected to avoid potential mobilization of contaminates from historical disposal practices, as well as to give groundwater a long travel time to the Columbia River. This permit provides the terms and conditions that will regulate the discharge from the Effluent Treatment Facility to the State Approved Land Disposal Site. 

ST-4502 • 200 Area Treated Effluent Disposal Facility (TEDF) (Permit Number ST- 4502):

The TEDF facility provides a collection, conveyance, and disposal system for treated effluent from buildings in the 200 Areas. It is located in the 200 East Area and consists of an 11-mile-long pipeline and two adjacent five-acre infiltration ponds. The TEDF facility receives, conveys, and disposes of wastewater from numerous Hanford Site locations. Wastewater generating processes include: non-contact cooling water, steam condensate, dryer condensate, air conditioning condensate, reverse osmosis unit brine, potable water, raw water, rainwater, miscellaneous effluents, water softener regenerant, filter backwash, boiler blowdown, and cooling tower blowdown. All of the water evolves from processes that do not have direct contact with industrial processes. The permit provides the terms and conditions that regulate the discharge of treated wastewater, via infiltration through soils, into groundwater of the state.

ST-4511 • Miscellaneous Streams (State Permit Number ST-4511) :

This Categorical State Waste Discharge Permit consists of four former State Waste Discharge Permits (ST4501, ST4508, ST4509, and ST4510). Categorical permits are unique to the Hanford Site and are not used elsewhere in the state. The Categorical permits are intended to provide compliance with regulations while providing a streamlined and cost-effective permitting approach. The wastewater discharges addressed in this permit include the discharge of hydrotesting, construction, and maintenance wastewater; the discharge of cooling water and condensate; and the collection and the discharge of industrial stormwater.

ST-0045514 200 West Area Evaporative Sewage Lagoon :

The 200 West Area Evaporative Sewage Lagoon is a domestic wastewater treatment facility located northeast of the 200 West Area of the Hanford Site. The facility consists of double-lined evaporative lagoons and is designed to have no liquid discharge to the ground. The system provides domestic wastewater treatment for the 200 West and 600 Areas, as well as provides treatment for domestic wastewater hauled or piped from the 200 East Area and other locations within the Hanford Site. Initially, the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) only trucked wastewater to the facility. Due to failure of existing on-site systems and a need for new infrastructure, USDOE began constructing a collection system within the 200 West and 600 Areas. USDOE constructed the 200 West Area Evaporative Sewage Lagoon, in part, to replace the existing 100-N Sewage Lagoon (State Waste Discharge Permit ST0004507) as it neared the end of its service life. In addition, the majority of future Hanford Site cleanup activities will be centered around the 200 Area. This wastewater treatment facility is centrally located to serve the growing population of workers at Hanford.

Contact

For more information about the State Waste Discharge permits please contact John Temple - Facility Transition Project Manager, (509) 372-7950