Puget Sound's water quality is at risk, and Surfrider is taking a stand. We recently submitted an official comment letter to the Washington Department of Ecology regarding the proposed revised Puget Sound Nutrient General Permit. The PSNGP is the legal process that allows Washington's water treatment plants to determine how much and what kind of wastewater they can discharge into our waters. Here's a breakdown of what that means for you and the health of our local waters.
For decades, excess nutrients—primarily nitrogen and phosphorus—from wastewater treatment plants have been a major source of pollution in Puget Sound. The Department of Ecology has long known that these nutrients contribute to low dissolved oxygen levels, a condition that harms marine life and can lead to fish kills. Nutrient pollution also fuels harmful algal blooms that can be toxic to both marine animals and humans.
The problem is significant: just 27 wastewater facilities are responsible for 99% of the inorganic nitrogen pollution from all treatment plants in the region.
The Pollution Control Hearings Board has recognized these issues, stating that nutrient over-enrichment reduces oxygen levels, makes the Sound more acidic, and negatively impacts everything from shellfish to eelgrass meadows, to the water we all play in.
While Ecology's draft permit is a step toward addressing this issue, we believe it falls short of what's needed. We are urging the department to do three key things:
Stop the Delays: Ecology has a legal and moral obligation to impose specific limits on nutrient pollution. This new permit, especially in its "voluntary" form, introduces more delays in cleaning up the Sound.
Enforce Stronger Limits: The permit must require facilities to use the best available technology to reduce pollution. We believe the current proposal fails to meet the All Known, Achievable, and Reasonable Technology (AKART) standard.
Use Individual Permits: We are opposed to the "voluntary" general permit approach. Instead, we are asking Ecology to regulate nutrient discharges through each wastewater treatment plant's individual permit. This approach is clearer, more legally sound, and ensures accountability for polluters.
Surfrider is committed to protecting the waters of the Salish Sea. We are actively working to ensure that our local waters are clean and healthy for both marine life and people. The fight to protect Puget Sound from nutrient pollution is a critical part of that mission.
We will continue to monitor Ecology's actions and advocate for a stronger, more effective permit that holds polluters accountable and restores the health of Puget Sound for generations to come.