Olympia – The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has adopted fee increases that will affect holders of stormwater and wastewater discharge permits in fiscal years 2010 and 2011.

Ecology administers state and federal permits to regulate wastewater and stormwater discharges into Washington’s surface and underground waters. All permit holders are required to pay annual permit fees. Ecology uses the fee money to recover eligible costs associated with operating Ecology’s wastewater discharge permit program.

Fees will increase by 5.2% in the state’s fiscal year 2010, which began in July 2009, and by 4.6% in fiscal year 2011, beginning in July 2010.

The increases are in step with the state’s fiscal growth factor, which is a measure of the state’s population and economic trends.