Susan Hess. May 24, 2018. The Washington Department of Ecology adopted a new Winery General Permit to prevent pollution and protect water quality. The permit takes effect June 1, 2019, giving wineries a year to prepare.
“We worked closely with local winemakers to develop a permit that provides environmental protection in way that lightens the financial and operational hardship on wineries, especially for smaller wineries,” Heather Bartlett, Ecology Water Quality Program Manager wrote in a media release.
After California, Washington is the second largest wine-producing state in the country. Wastewater comes mainly from activities like washing tanks and equipment. According to Ecology, that wastewater is corrosive and can “damage soil and crops, kill aquatic life, degrade the infrastructure in wastewater treatment plants, and pull metals from the soil into groundwater that can harm people.”
The permit applies to wineries that discharge more than 53,505 gallons of wastewater a year. Over the next year, Ecology will hold workshops for wineries on this new permit.
For detail information www.ecology.wa.gov/
This permit can be appealed to the Washington Pollution Control Hearings Board within 30 days of becoming effective.
