AN ACT Relating to providing funding for enhanced wastewater treatment infrastructure for salmon recovery through a fee assessed on municipal discharges of untreated sewage into Puget Sound;
Summary
HB 1678 creates a new fee on discharges of untreated sewage into Puget Sound from municipal combined sewer overflow systems and municipal wastewater treatment plants when the receiving water is Puget Sound or a water body in hydrologic continuity with it. The fee is assessed per gallon of untreated sewage discharged, and the bill directs the Department of Ecology to adopt rules to implement the program, including reporting requirements and a uniform method for calculating the untreated sewage content of combined sewer overflow discharges.
The bill establishes a dedicated enhanced wastewater treatment infrastructure for salmon recovery account in the state treasury. Revenue from the fee must be deposited into that account and may be spent only after appropriation, and only for grants to municipalities for wastewater treatment infrastructure projects that remove excess nutrients from discharges to Puget Sound. The measure also contains provisions related to treasury earnings and account management, and it includes an expiration date and effective date for the act.
Impact
HB 1678 would amend Washington law to authorize a new environmental fee tied to untreated sewage discharges affecting Puget Sound, while creating a new special account to receive the revenue and fund municipal infrastructure grants. It would require the Department of Ecology to regulate reporting and fee calculation, and it would add a new funding stream specifically aimed at wastewater treatment upgrades intended to reduce nutrient pollution, hypoxia, and salmon mortality. The bill also makes conforming changes to state treasury and account provisions to recognize the new account and its earnings treatment.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes, the overall sentiment appears supportive and purpose-driven rather than contested in the available record. The findings section frames the bill as a salmon recovery and Puget Sound restoration measure, emphasizing environmental protection, treaty obligations, and economic benefits tied to shellfish and aquatic ecosystems. The bill’s structure suggests a policy consensus around using pollution-related fees to finance infrastructure improvements, though no formal vote history is available to confirm legislative support levels.
Contention
The main likely point of contention is the new fee on municipal discharges of untreated sewage, which could raise costs for cities and wastewater utilities that operate combined sewer overflow systems or treatment plants. Municipalities may object to the per-gallon fee, the reporting obligations, or the potential administrative burden of calculating untreated sewage content under the required uniform method. Environmental and salmon recovery advocates, by contrast, would likely support the fee as a targeted way to make dischargers help pay for infrastructure improvements that reduce pollution in Puget Sound.