Industrial wastewater discharge approvals

Discharging hospital wastewater to the King County sewage system

The King County Industrial Waste Program (KCIW) issues discharge authorizations to area hospitals that discharge wastewater to the King County sewage system. The discharge authorizations serve to ensure that hospital discharges meet the county's local limits for pollutants, to protect human health and the environment and the public's investment in wastewater facilities. A King County Public Rule regulates such discharges to the sewer.

About hospital wastewater discharges: In 2002, KCIW began issuing the discharge authorizations. Previously, King County hospitals were discharging wastes without any written authorization or permit. This practice put the hospitals at risk of enforcement by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology). KCIW initiated a collaborative process, offering hospitals and the general public the opportunity to comment on the process and the discharge authorization document. KCIW then finalized the wording of the authorization and performed hospital site visits.

Resources for those discharging hospital waste:

Ecology's Best Management Practices for Hospital Waste guide (external link).

Ecology's Interim Enforcement Policy for Pharmaceutical Waste Management in Healthcare (external link).

And related documents: Ecology's Interim Enforcement Policy Pharmaceutical Waste Fact Sheet - Profiling and Notification  and Guide for Dangerous Pharmaceutical Waste Generators in Washington State (external links).

Laboratory Waste Management Guide (212KB) (external link) prepared by the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County, Washington.