Sewage-containing spills

AN ACT Relating to increasing transparency regarding sewage-1
containing spills; adding new sections to chapter 90.48 RCW; and 2
creating a new section. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that municipal 5
wastewater treatment plant owners/operators are required by their 6
water quality permits to disclose unauthorized spills or discharges 7
containing untreated or undertreated sewage to the department of 8
ecology, but that such notices of sewage spills are not expeditiously 9
or easily made publicly available. Those who count on clean water 10
quality for their jobs in fishing or aquaculture, to enjoy their 11
recreational interests, or to pursue their cultural traditions are 12
likely to be especially impacted by sewage spills, and would 13
particularly benefit from a system of timely public notice in the 14
event of a spill. A number of other states have established systems 15
in which public notification of a spill is available in nearly real 16
time on a map posted by a water quality regulator, and in which 17
alerts can be issued to those interested in the event of a spill in a 18
particular geographic area. Therefore, it is the intent of the 19
legislature to improve the public's ability to know about sewage 20
spills that may impact them by establishing such a system. 21
H-0831.1
HOUSE BILL 1670
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Hunt, Griffey, Doglio, Bernbaum, Zahn, Salahuddin,
Berry, Abbarno, Duerr, Hill, Obras, Lekanoff, Stearns, Parshley,
Kloba, Reed, Ramel, Ormsby, Gregerson, and Nance
Read first time 01/28/25. Referred to Committee on Environment &
Energy.
p. 1 HB 1670
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 90.48 1
RCW to read as follows: 2
The definitions in this section apply to sections 3 through 5 of 3
this act unless the context clearly requires otherwise.4
(1) "Combined sewer" means structures which are designed to 5
convey both sanitary and storm sewage, and allow the overflow of such 6
combined sewage, untreated, to the waters of the state during periods 7
of high flows. 8
(2) "Sewage spill" means the intentional or accidental diversion 9
of untreated or undertreated wastes that do not meet permit 10
requirements, from any portion of a sewage treatment plant or 11
collection system, including a combined sewer, in this state.12
(3) "Sewage treatment plant or collection system" means any 13
sewage treatment plant, water pollution control facility, related 14
pumping system, collection system, or other public sewage works.15
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 90.48 16
RCW to read as follows: 17
(1) By July 1, 2026, the department must develop and publish a 18
public-facing website that includes, but is not limited to, a mapping 19
interface with geographic information on locations where sewage 20
spills occur that are reported to the department under individual 21
water quality permits for discharges that contain sewage. Upon the 22
receipt of sewage spill information under this chapter, the 23
department must post on the website notice of the reported discharge 24
or bypass. The notice on the department's website must include the 25
following information, as reported to the department:26
(a) The estimated volume or rate of discharge and, once known, 27
the final volume discharged; 28
(b) The level of treatment of the discharge; 29
(c) The date and time the incident initiated; 30
(d) The location of the discharge; 31
(e) Once known, the estimated or actual time the discharge 32
ceased; 33
(f) The geographic area potentially impacted by the discharge;34
(g) Once known, the steps taken to contain the discharge; and35
(h) Public safety precautions that should be taken if known.36
(2) Within a reasonable amount of time following the conclusion 37
of a reported sewage spill or bypass under this section, the 38
department must update the website to reflect the total estimated 39
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volume of discharges, dates, times, and duration of the spill, waters 1
impacted by the spill, and other final spill information reported to 2
the department. 3
(3) Information pertaining to each sewage spill reported to the 4
department on or after July 1, 2026, must be retained in perpetuity 5
on the department's website. 6
(4) The department must design the website in a way that 7
effectively communicates with people who have limited English 8
proficiency. 9
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. A new section is added to chapter 90.48 10
RCW to read as follows: 11
By July 1, 2027, the department must implement a public 12
notification system, through which the public may choose to be 13
notified of untreated or undertreated sewage spills or permitted 14
sewage bypasses. Notifications by the department under this section 15
must occur no later than four hours after the receipt by the 16
department of a notice of a sewage spill or bypass. Real-time 17
notifications must reflect or link to the information made available 18
by the department under section 3 of this act. 19
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. A new section is added to chapter 90.48 20
RCW to read as follows: 21
(1) By March 15, 2026, the department must provide a list of 22
unauthorized spills or discharges containing untreated or 23
undertreated sewage reported to the department during the preceding 24
calendar year. 25
(2) By March 15, 2027, and each March 15th thereafter, the 26
department must publish and make publicly available on the website an 27
annual report of unauthorized spills or discharges containing 28
untreated or undertreated sewage that occurred during the preceding 29
calendar year that were reported to the department. The annual report 30
must include the waters impacted, duration, volume, and any action 31
taken by the department related to such sewage spills.32
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