 King County Industrial Waste (KCIW) Program Newsletter - Spring 2025
Every five years, KCIW conducts the mandatory comprehensive Industrial User (IU) Survey to protect King County’s regional water quality and ensure compliance with federal requirements. This summer, KCIW and PRR, the IU survey consultant, will mail out the survey to regional businesses.
This year, KCIW is placing additional emphasis on gathering data regarding 6PPDQ and per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS), commonly known as “forever chemicals,” from our commercial and industrial users. The survey will include specific questions about PFAS, and the responses will help King County develop best management practices (BMPs) for businesses—another critical requirement from the Washington State Department of Ecology. The survey results will help achieve our commitment to upstream intervention, or "source control," to prevent these harmful chemicals from entering wastewater and, ultimately, our regional water bodies.
Businesses will receive the survey by mail, with follow-up reminders sent via both email and phone call. For questions or more information about the survey, please contact the survey team via email at iusurvey@kingcounty.gov.
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Dewatering is the process of pumping groundwater or stormwater away from an active construction site. This water should be pretreated and sent to a surface water body, either directly or through a storm drain, if possible.
Wastewater generated during construction activities includes process wastewater and co-mingled construction dewatering water from active construction areas. Treated stormwater and/or groundwater that is co-mingled with construction process water (wheel wash water, concrete wastewater, pre-treated slurry wastewater, well development wastewater), may be directed to the sanitary sewer with approval from both KCIW and the local sewer agency overseeing the construction site.
Submitting a complete application with all necessary documentation helps minimize delays and ensures your project stays on schedule. To assist KCIW in processing your application promptly, please follow these steps:
- Complete the application form, ensuring all required exhibits are included and signed by the authorized construction representative.
- Obtain approval from the local sewer agency.
- Submit your completed application to KCIW.
By taking the time to submit a thorough and accurate application, you contribute to environmental protection while facilitating a smoother construction process. Thank you for helping safeguard our community’s water resources.
For more information, please visit our website: Construction dewatering authorization - King County, Washington
Each spring, KCIW recognizes companies that have done an excellent job maintaining permit compliance and preventing pollution during the previous calendar year. Companies with excellent compliance help protect WTD’s workers and sewer and treatment plants, as well as the environment.
Congratulations to the 2024 Commitment-to-Compliance Award recipients
- ABAF - Imaginetics
- UniSea Inc.
Dischargers are awarded with a Gold or Silver Award based on their level of compliance and companies that receive five consecutive Gold Awards are recognized with a Commitment to Compliance Award.
Find out who won Gold and Silver Awards.
The KCIW Annual Pretreatment Report is now available. Here are the highlights from 2024:
- Issued 173 wastewater discharge approvals.
- Inspected and sampled all significant industrial users to meet the federal pretreatment requirement of once per year.
- Issued enforcement actions against those that violated requirements, including major actions involving significant noncompliance.
- Completed the Pretreatment Information Management System (PIMS) database project, which included translating the code base to a modern language and web-based application and making significant, functional enhancements.
- Completed a project with a consultant to update the surcharge allocation for the high strength waste cost recovery program.
- Engineering staff conducted a local discharge limits evaluation for West Point as part of NPDES permit requirements and they continued to work on a new engineering design review manual.
At some facilities, KCIW staff collect “flow-proportional” samples using a special cable. This flow-proportional cable is permanently installed at the facility and connects the wastewater discharge flow meter to KCIW’s composite sampling equipment. The cable uses the flow data from the meter to send an electrical pulse to KCIW sampling equipment. This allows more samples to be collected during periods of higher flow and fewer samples to be collected during periods of low flow.
KCIW provides these cables to some facilities so that they are connected to the flow meter, which is considered part of your treatment system and should not be disconnected. KCIW should be notified immediately of any changes in the wastewater treatment or sampling system. If the cables are located outdoors, they should be protected from weather conditions that could cause damage. If cables are removed or damaged, they will need to be replaced by the facility at your expense.
Please let your investigator or a sampling team member know if you have any questions or issues with your cable or other equipment at your facility.
An example of a flow-proportional cable that connects a sampler to a flow meter.
 A group of people wearing hard hats and reflective safety vests tour a County-owned wastewater treatment plant. They are walking on a concrete platform adjacent to a circular tank called a clarifier.
Industrial users are invited to join KCIW for tours of the Brightwater Treatment Plant in Woodinville or the South Treatment Plant in Renton.
Take a behind-the-scenes look at how King County collects and treats wastewater and learn how your industry plays a vital role in protecting Puget Sound.
Tours will be scheduled between late June and early September, based on participant availability and interests.
Please contact us at info.kciw@kingcounty.gov or call 206-477-5300 to join the tour!
King County is legally required to report on companies who do not comply with their permit or regulations. KCIW publishes a violators advertisement once a year in the spring for violations and enforcement actions that have occurred since the previous publication date.
For more information, please check out Violation forms and postings.
King County is hiring
Our WTD workforce is growing, and we know diversity is key to our success in building the next generation of talent.
Are you or someone you know interested? Check out WTD’s career opportunities.
 A group photo of King County Wastewater Treatment staff wearing hard hats and reflective safety vests, standing on a concrete walkway above a wastewater treatment tank called an aeration basin.
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