Winery general permit

Washington is the second-largest wine-producing state in the nation. If not properly managed, corrosive wastewater from wineries can potentially harm aquatic life and even people. Ecology first issued the Winery General Permit in 2019 to help protect groundwater in Washington and prevent process wastewater from overwhelming wastewater treatment plants.

Washington's Winery General Permit regulates discharges of process wastewater from wineries to land, groundwater, and wastewater treatment plants. No surface water discharges are allowed under this permit. This permit is for large wineries that meet a permitting threshold. The threshold is based on wine production volume and how wastewater is handled.
 
The current permit went into effect on July 1, 2019, and expires on July 1, 2024.

Receive email updates

Join our Winery General Permit email list to receive email updates about this permit.

Do I need permit coverage?

You may need coverage under the Winery General Permit if your facility:

  • Typically discharges more than 53,505 gallons of winery process wastewater in a calendar year (or typically produces more than 7,500 cases in a calendar year); AND
  • Discharges winery process wastewater to one or more of the following:
    • A wastewater treatment plant
    • Managed vegetation (irrigation)
    • A lagoon or other liquid storage structure
    • Road dust abatement
    • A subsurface infiltration system
    • An infiltration basin

Use our decision tree to see if your facility may need permit coverage.

If you need a permit, see the information below under Apply for permit coverage.

Current permit documents

wine barrels on racks

Permit reissuance

We are in the process of permit reissuance. We invited comments on the draft general permit documents (below) from Jan. 18, 2024, until March 1, 2024. We also held online workshops and public hearings. During the workshops in February, we explained the proposed changes to the permit and answered questions. The hearings began immediately following the public workshops. You can view the written comments we recieved on our online database. We will publish a Response to Comments as an appendix to the fact sheet to address all comments submitted during the public comment period.

View the public workshop presentation

Draft permit documents

Timeline

Jan. 2024 – March 2024: Formal Public Comment period on the draft permit
Feb. 2024: Public workshops and hearings
Spring 2024: Decision on reissuance
July 1, 2024: Current permit expires

 Information for permit holders


Frequently asked questions


Regional contacts

For facilities located in the following counties:

Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, and Yakima counties

Assistance with permit requirements or site-specific questions:

Lucila Cornejo
lucila.cornejo@ecy.wa.gov
509-823-7912

Assistance applying for coverage, finding or completing forms, or drafting public notices:

Lucila Cornejo
lucila.cornejo@ecy.wa.gov
509-823-7912

Mail forms to:

Attn: WQ Winery Permit Coordinator
Washington State Department of Ecology
Central Regional Office
1250 West Alder Street
Union Gap, WA 98903-0009

For facilities located in the following counties:

Adams, Asotin, Columbia, Ferry, Franklin, Garfield, Grant, Lincoln, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, Walla Walla, and Whitman counties

Assistance with permit requirements or site-specific questions:

Jefferson Davis
jefferson.davis@ecy.wa.gov
509-329-3565

Assistance applying for coverage, finding or completing forms, or drafting public notices:

Jefferson Davis
jefferson.davis@ecy.wa.gov
509-329-3565

Mail forms to:

Attn: WQ Winery Permit Manager
Washington State Department of Ecology
Eastern Regional Office
4601 North Monroe Street Suite 202
Spokane, WA 99205-1295

For facilities located in the following counties:

Island, King, Kitsap, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties

Assistance with permit requirements or site-specific questions:

Danielle Edelman
danielle.edelman@ecy.wa.gov
360-763-2597

Assistance applying for coverage, finding or completing forms, or drafting public notices:

Danielle Edelman
danielle.edelman@ecy.wa.gov
360-763-2597

Mail forms to:

Attn: WQ Winery Permit Coordinator
Washington State Department of Ecology
Northwest Regional Office
PO BOX 330316
Shoreline, WA 98133-9716

For facilities located in the following counties:

Clallam, Clark, Cowlitz, Grays Harbor, Jefferson, Lewis, Mason, Pacific, Pierce, Skamania, Thurston, or Wahkiakum counties

Contact with permit requirements, or site-specific questions:

Jessica McConnell
jessica.mcconnell@ecy.wa.gov
360-690-4796

For assistance applying for coverage, finding or completing forms, or drafting public notices:

Danielle Edelman
danielle.edelman@ecy.wa.gov
360-763-2597

Mail forms to:

Attn: WQ Winery Permit Coordinator
Washington State Department of Ecology
Southwest Regional Office
300 Desmond Drive
P.O. Box 47775
Olympia, WA 98504-7775