Industrial wastewater discharge approvals

Sending commercial septage to the King County sewage system

The King County Industrial Waste Program (KCIW) regulates commercial septage that will be hauled to the King County septage acceptance facility (at South Treatment Plant, Renton). A King County Public Rule regulates sending commercial septage to King County facilities.

Some businesses, commercial facilities and industries rely on septic systems to receive their liquid wastes. Many of these facilities have their septage tank wastes hauled to King County's South Treatment Plant, the only county-operated facility that accepts these wastes. To protect our treatment plant and its biosolids quality, King County requires that businesses, commercial facilities, and industries sending septage to the county sewer system have approval to do so.

Note: This information does not apply to residential septic tanks. All waste from residences is considered domestic waste and is not regulated by KCIW.

Getting approval to send non-residential/commercial septage:

Ask your septage hauler if they intend to dispose of your waste at King County's acceptance facility (at South Treatment Plant, Renton.)
If your septage is being sent to King County, please:

• Review the fact sheet, Sending Commercial/Non-domestic Septage to King County (PDF 561 KB)
• Complete a Septage Acceptance Application and submit it to KCIW
• Contact KCIW with questions and for more information (see Contacts, left)

Regulations applying to non-residential/commercial septage:

The King County Hauled Waste Guidelines: cover the pumping of septic tanks that contain or may contain commercial wastes. (See right.)

New hauled waste Public Rule: A new King County Public Rule allowing the discharge of hauled waste at a King County treatment plant became effective on Sept. 15, 2008. The new rule describes procedures to allow the discharge of non-domestic septage, commercial wastes, industrial wastes, and grease removed from a grease trap, septic tank, or cesspool into a designated septage facility in King County.

Resources for septage haulers:

King County's Annual Septage Disposal Permit for 2009

King County South Treatment Plant septage disposal and King County septage hauling licenses, contact: 
Chris Tinnin
South Treatment Plant
1200 Monster Road SW, MS RTP-NR-0100
Renton, WA 98057
E-mail: chris.tinnin@kingcounty.gov or call 206-684-2405 or TTY: 711

Pumper certification questions or applications, contact: 
Mark Allen, Health and Environmental Investigator,
Seattle/King County Department of Public Health,
E-mail: mark.allen@kingcounty.gov or call 206-296-9747 or TTY: 711.

Resources for businesses discharging non-residential/commercial septage:

To locate septage haulers:
a. Contact the Washington On-Site Sewage Association (WOSSA) (external link).

b. Look in your local yellow page phone directory under "Septage Tanks and Systems – Cleaning.”

To locate business waste haulers:

a. Look in your local yellow page phone directory under "Hazardous Waste Vendors" or "Environmental."

b. Check the Waste Directory (external link) published by the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County.

c. Or contact the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County (external link) for contact information.

To learn more about Best Management Practices for on-site sewage systems in King County:

a. Get information from Public Health - Seattle & King County's Wastewater Program.

b. See the Information for Business Users and Property Owners brochure (PDF file, 185KB) (external link), published by the Interagency Regulatory Analysis Committee (IRAC) of the Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County.

Learn Best Management Practices/pollution prevention tips for your particular industry:

a. Visit the Washington State Department of Ecology's Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction Program's Pollution Prevention in Washington State Internet page (external link).

b. The Local Hazardous Waste Management Program in King County's Business Waste line (external link).