How to Fill Out Washington Ecology NPDES Industrial Stormwater Permit (2025 ISGP) + FAQs

The Washington Ecology Industrial Stormwater General Permit (ISGP) is the NPDES and State Waste Discharge permit that most industrial facilities in Washington must hold before stormwater leaves their site. You apply for it by filing an electronic Notice of Intent (eNOI) through the Washington Department of Ecology, and the current version is the 2025 ISGP, which took effect January 1, 2025 and runs through December 31, 2029.

Most filers are facility managers, small business owners, or environmental consultants who feel rushed because the eNOI must reach Ecology at least 60 days before site operations begin. Getting a code, an outfall, or a SEPA answer wrong on the eNOI can delay coverage by weeks and expose your business to Clean Water Act penalties that can reach tens of thousands of dollars per day per violation. This guide walks you through every part of the application in plain language so you can file it right the first time.

Ecology regulates thousands of industrial sites in Washington under this single general permit, and the application that opens the door to coverage is the eNOI filed in the WQWebPortal. Here is what you will learn:

• 🧭 How to set up the three online accounts you need before you can even see the eNOi
• 🏭 How to find the correct NAICS and SIC codes that decide your eligibility and monitoring
• 🌧️ How to identify and describe every outfall and discharge point on your site
• 📰 When you must run a newspaper public notice and report your SEPA decision
• ✅ How to file, pay, monitor, and stay in compliance after coverage is granted

What the Permit Is and Who Must File It

The 2025 ISGP is a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and State Waste Discharge permit issued by the Washington Department of Ecology. It authorizes a facility to discharge stormwater associated with industrial activity to waters of the state, as long as the facility monitors, measures, and reduces the pollution leaving the site. Ecology issues this permit under the federal Clean Water Act and Washington’s water pollution control law, RCW 90.48.080.

You must file for coverage if your facility has industrial activity exposed to rain or runoff and that runoff leaves your property. Common covered sectors include metal fabrication, scrap and recycling yards, boatyards, log yards, sawmills, ready-mix concrete plants, airports, hazardous waste facilities, and many manufacturing and transportation sites. Ecology uses your Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code and your North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code to decide whether you are required to apply and what extra monitoring applies to you.

Three things drive the whole permit. The purpose is to keep pollutants like copper, zinc, and turbidity out of streams and Puget Sound. The agency that receives and enforces the permit is Ecology. The statute behind it is the Clean Water Act paired with RCW 90.48. The deadline is the 60-day-before-operations rule for new sites. The penalty for ignoring the permit is enforcement under the Clean Water Act, which can reach tens of thousands of dollars per day per violation, plus citizen suits. Each piece depends on the others: the statute creates the duty, the agency enforces it, the deadline keeps coverage in place, and the penalty punishes those who skip the process.

If you believe rain never touches your industrial materials or activity, you may instead apply for a Conditional No Exposure (CNE) exemption, which is covered later in this guide. A “No Discharge” certification is also available for sites whose stormwater fully infiltrates and never reaches surface water or a storm sewer. Picking the wrong path can cost you, so read those sections before you submit anything.

Before You Start: Documents and Information You Need

Filing the eNOI goes faster when you gather everything first, because the WQWebPortal does not save partial answers well and times out. The application asks for site facts, codes, maps, and decisions that you cannot guess on the spot. A missing piece is the top reason eNOIs sit unfinished for weeks.

Here is your pre-filing checklist, with why each item matters:

• Legal business name and owner/operator name. Ecology cross-checks this against state business records, and a mismatch can hold up your coverage decision.
• Physical site address and mailing address. The site address sets your local permit administrator and your benchmark region, so an error routes your file to the wrong reviewer.
• NAICS code (primary and any co-located). This drives your monitoring; the wrong code adds or removes required sampling and can even make you ineligible.
• SIC code. Ecology pairs this with NAICS to confirm permit eligibility, and a blank or wrong SIC stalls review.
• Latitude and longitude of the site. Ecology maps your discharge to the correct receiving water, and bad coordinates can attach the wrong water quality limits.
• Outfall and discharge point locations. You must list every spot where stormwater leaves the site; missing one means you are discharging without coverage at that point.
• Receiving water names. Naming the stream, lake, or marine water (and whether it is impaired) sets stricter limits where needed; leaving it blank delays the decision.
• SEPA decision documents (sites starting after Jan. 1, 2020). New facilities must report their State Environmental Policy Act outcome, and skipping it stops the application cold.
• Proof of newspaper public notice (new facilities). New sites must publish notice and wait out the 30-day comment window before coverage is final.
• A Secure Access Washington (SAW) login and an Ecology Signature account. Without these you cannot reach or sign the eNOI in the WQWebPortal.

Gather a current site drainage map, your local jurisdiction’s GIS or archived drainage maps, and any prior stormwater records. Site walks often reveal outfalls you forgot, such as a pipe that daylights into a ditch two blocks away. Having these in hand turns a frustrating week into a one-hour task.

Where to Get the Form and How to Access It

The eNOI lives inside Ecology’s WQWebPortal, not as a download you email back. You reach it through three linked online accounts that you must set up in order before the application appears. Skipping the account setup is the most common reason first-time filers stall on day one.

First, create a free Secure Access Washington (SAW) account, which is the statewide login the portal sits behind. Second, create a Department of Ecology Signature account, which lets you legally e-sign documents like the eNOI and your future Discharge Monitoring Reports. Third, add the WQWebPortal service inside SAW so the Notice of Intent screens unlock. On the Notice of Intent webpage, click “New” next to the Industrial Stormwater General Permit to start a fresh application, or open an existing draft to finish it.

A 9-page paper Notice of Intent version exists for filers who cannot use the portal, and you can request it from Ecology. The paper route is slower, harder to track, and easy to lose, so Ecology steers nearly everyone to the electronic eNOI. If you do use paper, keep a full copy and mail it with tracking. Whichever channel you pick, remember that everything you enter becomes public on the Water Quality Permitting and Reporting System (PARIS), so accuracy and honesty matter from the first keystroke.

Step-by-Step: How to Fill Out the eNOI Line by Line

The eNOI is organized into sections that move from who you are, to where your site is, to what leaves the site, to legal sign-off. Fill them in the order the portal presents them, because later screens depend on earlier answers. Below, each field gets its own walkthrough with how to answer it, an example, an edge case, a common mistake, and a misconception to drop.

1. Applicant / Owner Information

This field asks for the legal name and contact details of the person or company that owns or runs the facility. Enter the full legal business name exactly as registered with the Washington Secretary of State, plus the responsible official’s name, title, phone, and email. For example, Cascade Metal Works LLC enters its legal name, then Maria Lopez, Operations Manager as the contact. If you operate under a trade name, still list the legal entity first because Ecology matches it to state records.

A common edge case is a facility owned by one company but run by another; here you list the operator as the permittee because the operator controls day-to-day compliance. The most common mistake is entering a “doing business as” name instead of the legal entity, which triggers a hold while Ecology verifies who is actually responsible. Many filers wrongly believe the contact person becomes personally liable for the permit; the permittee company holds the legal duty, while the contact is just the point of communication.

2. Facility / Site Name and Location

This field asks for the name of the industrial site and exactly where it sits. Write the common site name and the physical street address, not a P.O. Box, because Ecology and your local administrator must be able to find the property. For example, Puget Sound Boatworks enters 1450 Marine View Dr, Tacoma, WA 98422. If the site has no street number, describe it by parcel number and nearest cross streets.

The edge case to watch is a site that spans two parcels or two counties; list the primary operating parcel and note the second in the description so the right administrator gets your file. The common mistake is using a mailing or corporate-office address instead of the actual site, which sends your application to the wrong county reviewer and delays everything. People often think the site address is just paperwork; it actually sets your benchmark region (Western vs. Eastern Washington), which changes your copper limit.

3. Latitude and Longitude

This field asks for the map coordinates of your facility’s main discharge area. Enter latitude and longitude in decimal degrees, such as 47.2710, -122.4180, which you can pull from your county GIS site or a mapping tool. Place the point at the center of your industrial activity or your primary outfall, not your office door. Accuracy to four or five decimal places is enough.

An edge case is a very large site with discharges far apart; use the main outfall and clarify the others in the outfall section. The common mistake is flipping the sign on longitude (Washington longitudes are negative) or swapping lat and long, which drops your facility into the ocean or another state on Ecology’s map and can attach the wrong receiving-water limits. A frequent misconception is that coordinates are optional nice-to-haves; Ecology uses them to route water quality protections, so a wrong point can mean wrong permit conditions.

4. NAICS Code(s)

This field asks for the North American Industry Classification System code that best describes your business. Enter your primary NAICS code and any secondary or co-located NAICS codes for distinct activities on site, which you can look up on the federal NAICS website. For example, a scrap yard enters 423930 for recyclable material merchant wholesalers. If two real activities happen on site, list both so Ecology applies all the right rules.

The edge case is a facility with a dominant activity plus a small side operation, such as a sawmill that also does vehicle maintenance; list the main code and the co-located one. The common and costly mistake is picking a code that does not match your real operations, which can add expensive sampling, require extra BMPs, exclude you from ISGP coverage, or wrongly exempt you. Many filers think the code is a loose label they can round to the nearest fit; Ecology treats it as the legal trigger for your monitoring, so choose the code that truly reflects what you do.

5. SIC Code

This field asks for the older Standard Industrial Classification code that pairs with your NAICS. Enter the four-digit SIC code that matches your facility, and if you know only one of the two codes, use the NAICS to SIC crosswalk to find the other. For example, Northwest Auto Recyclers enters 5093 for scrap and waste materials. Ecology requires both codes because some monitoring rules are written against SIC and some against NAICS.

The edge case is a modern business with no perfect SIC match; choose the closest code and explain in the activity description. The common mistake is leaving the SIC blank because the filer only knew the NAICS, which stops the review until Ecology requests the missing code. People often believe SIC is obsolete and ignorable; in this permit it is still mandatory, and several sector-specific requirements hinge on it.

6. Description of Industrial Activity

This field asks you to describe in plain words what your facility does outdoors that could touch stormwater. Write a short, honest summary of operations, materials stored outside, and processes exposed to rain. For example, Cascade Metal Works LLC writes outdoor cutting, welding, and storage of steel stock; forklift material handling in an uncovered yard. Name the activities that create exposure, not just your product.

The edge case is a mostly-indoor facility with one exposed loading dock; describe that one exposed area clearly, because it still drives coverage. The common mistake is writing a vague marketing blurb like “general manufacturing,” which forces Ecology to send follow-up questions and delays your decision. A widespread misconception is that downplaying exposure helps your application; in reality, an honest description protects you, since a later inspection that contradicts your eNOI is treated as a false statement and can bring enforcement.

7. Outfalls and Discharge Points

This field asks you to identify every place stormwater leaves your site and where it ends up. List each outfall (the point where water leaves your property, such as a pipe or ditch) and each discharge point or receiving location where it enters a water body or infiltrates the ground. For example, Puget Sound Boatworks lists Outfall 001 – 12-inch pipe to Hylebos Waterway and Outfall 002 – sheet flow to municipal storm drain. Number outfalls in order (001, 002, 003) as the permit expects.

The edge case is an outfall located well off your property, which is allowed because discharge points sit at the boundary while outfalls can be downstream; a site walk and your jurisdiction’s drainage maps usually reveal them. The common mistake is reporting only one outfall when the site has several, which means the unreported outfalls are discharging without coverage, a clear permit violation. People often confuse outfalls with discharge points; remember the discharge location is at the site edge, while the outfall can be some distance away, and Ecology wants both.

8. Receiving Waters

This field asks which water body ultimately receives your stormwater. Name the stream, lake, river, or marine water, and list both named and unnamed receiving waters, such as discharges to an unnamed tributary of the Duwamish River. If you discharge to a municipal storm sewer, name the system and the water it drains to. Note whether the receiving water is on the state’s impaired-waters (303(d)) list.

The edge case is a site that infiltrates some runoff and pipes the rest to a creek; report both pathways. The common mistake is listing only the storm drain and stopping there, when Ecology needs the ultimate receiving water to set limits. Filers often assume that discharging to a city storm drain means the city’s permit covers them; it does not, and an impaired receiving water like the Duwamish can bring stricter, site-specific limits.

9. SEPA Compliance (Facilities Operating After Jan. 1, 2020)

This field asks new facilities to report their State Environmental Policy Act decision. If your site began operation after January 1, 2020, enter your SEPA determination (such as a Determination of Nonsignificance) and the lead agency, and attach the documentation. For example, a new recycling plant enters DNS issued by City of Spokane, file SEPA-2025-014. Sites that predate that date can mark this as not applicable.

The edge case is a facility expanding an old site with a new activity; a fresh SEPA review may apply, so confirm with your lead agency. The common mistake is skipping this field as a new facility, which stops the application because Ecology cannot grant coverage without the SEPA outcome, as explained on Ecology’s SEPA page. A common misconception is that SEPA is the same as the stormwater permit; SEPA is a separate environmental review that must be done before Ecology will finalize your ISGP coverage.

10. Public Notice (New Facilities)

This field confirms that a new facility has published the required newspaper public notice. Publish the notice in a newspaper of general circulation in your county, then enter the publication name and dates. Ecology provides exact notice wording, beginning “(Name of applicant)… is seeking coverage under the Washington State Department of Ecology’s NPDES General Permit for Stormwater Discharges Associated with Industrial Activities.” The notice invites public comment for 30 days after the last publication date.

The edge case is a county with only weekly papers; plan ahead so the publication and the 30-day window fit your 60-day filing deadline. The common mistake is filing the eNOI before publishing, or using a paper that is not “of general circulation,” which voids the notice and resets the clock. Filers often think public notice is a formality they can backfill; it is a legal step, and coverage is not final until the comment period closes with the proper proof on file.

11. Certification and Signature

This field is the legal sign-off where a responsible official swears the application is true. Read the certification statement, then e-sign with your Ecology Signature account; the signer must be an owner, officer, or a duly authorized representative. For example, Maria Lopez signs only after Cascade Metal Works’ owner authorizes her in writing as the responsible official. The signature certifies, under penalty of law, that the information is accurate.

The edge case is a consultant filing for a client; the consultant can prepare the eNOI, but a properly authorized company official must sign it. The common mistake is having an unauthorized employee sign, which makes the certification invalid and the application defective. Many people believe an electronic signature is less binding than ink; under Washington’s e-signature rules it carries the same legal weight, and a false certification can lead to criminal and civil penalties.

Three Filled-Out Examples Using Real Scenarios

These three named filers show how the eNOI looks for the most common Washington industrial sites. Each table walks one facility through the key fields from start to finish.

Scenario 1: Maria Lopez, Cascade Metal Works LLC (Metal Fabrication, Tacoma)

Form Section	What Maria Enters
Applicant / Owner	Cascade Metal Works LLC; contact Maria Lopez, Operations Manager
Facility Name / Location	Cascade Metal Works, 880 Industry Way, Tacoma, WA 98421
Latitude / Longitude	47.2580, -122.4090
NAICS Code	332312 (fabricated structural metal manufacturing)
SIC Code	3441 (fabricated structural metal)
Industrial Activity	Outdoor steel storage, cutting, welding, forklift handling in uncovered yard
Outfalls	Outfall 001 – pipe to municipal storm drain; Outfall 002 – ditch to Wapato Creek
Receiving Water	Wapato Creek (303(d)-listed), via city storm system
SEPA / Public Notice	Not applicable – facility operating since 2008
Certification	E-signed by Maria Lopez, authorized official

Scenario 2: David Chen, Evergreen Scrap & Recycling (Recycling Yard, Spokane)

Form Section	What David Enters
Applicant / Owner	Evergreen Scrap & Recycling Inc.; contact David Chen, President
Facility Name / Location	Evergreen Scrap Yard, 2100 E Trent Ave, Spokane, WA 99202
Latitude / Longitude	47.6690, -117.3850
NAICS Code	423930 (recyclable material merchant wholesalers)
SIC Code	5093 (scrap and waste materials)
Industrial Activity	Outdoor sorting, crushing, and storage of scrap metal and end-of-life vehicles
Outfalls	Outfall 001 – catch basin to municipal storm drain to Spokane River
Receiving Water	Spokane River (Eastern WA region benchmarks)
SEPA / Public Notice	DNS issued by City of Spokane, 2021; notice published in Spokesman-Review
Certification	E-signed by David Chen, owner

Scenario 3: Janet Reyes, Harbor Line Boatworks (Boatyard, Anacortes)

Form Section	What Janet Enters
Applicant / Owner	Harbor Line Boatworks LLC; contact Janet Reyes, Yard Manager
Facility Name / Location	Harbor Line Boatworks, 510 Commercial Ave, Anacortes, WA 98221
Latitude / Longitude	48.5120, -122.6130
NAICS Code	336612 (boat building) plus co-located 811490 (boat repair)
SIC Code	3732 (boat building and repairing)
Industrial Activity	Outdoor hull sanding, pressure washing, painting, and haul-out in tidal yard
Outfalls	Outfall 001 – yard drain to Fidalgo Bay; Outfall 002 – wash pad to treatment then bay
Receiving Water	Fidalgo Bay (Western WA region; marine, sensitive)
SEPA / Public Notice	Not applicable – yard operating since 1996
Certification	E-signed by Janet Reyes, authorized representative

Beyond these three, picture Tom Bradley, who runs a new ready-mix concrete plant in Lewis County and must publish a public notice and report his 2025 SEPA decision, and Aisha Karim, an environmental consultant filing the eNOI for a sawmill client and signing only after the mill’s owner authorizes her in writing.

How to File the Completed eNOI

Once every field is complete and signed, you submit through the channel you started in. Ecology strongly prefers the online eNOI because it is tracked, dated, and tied to your accounts.

Online (WQWebPortal): Submit the eNOI inside the WQWebPortal after signing with your Ecology Signature account. There is no fee to submit the eNOI itself; the annual permit fee is billed later by invoice. Processing runs about 30 days for Ecology to review, plus the public comment window for new facilities; coverage for new sites generally begins 30 days after the notice period. Keep your portal confirmation and the submission date as your proof of filing.

By mail (paper NOI): Mail the completed paper Notice of Intent to the Water Quality Program – Industrial Stormwater, Washington State Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47696, Olympia, WA 98504-7696. There is no submission fee with the form; the annual fee follows by invoice. Mail review takes longer because staff must enter your data by hand, so expect added weeks. Send it with tracking and keep a stamped copy as proof.

Annual permit fee: After coverage starts, Ecology bills an annual permit fee set by WAC 173-224 and required by RCW 90.48.465. Invoices follow the state fiscal year (July 1–June 30), and you pay by check or through Ecology’s billing system to the Fee Unit; keep the paid invoice as your record. Contact the Fee Unit at wqfeeunit@ecy.wa.gov or (800) 633-6193 with fee questions.

There is no in-person or fax filing channel for the eNOI; Ecology routes all applicants to the online portal or the mailed paper form. Whichever you use, save your confirmation, your submission date, and copies of every attachment, because that record is your proof if Ecology or a citizen group ever questions when you applied.

What Happens After You File

After you submit, Ecology reviews the eNOI for completeness and accuracy, usually within about 30 days. If something is unclear or missing, Ecology will notify you in writing within 30 days and list the issues you must fix before a coverage decision, so watch your email and portal messages closely. For new facilities, your coverage is not final until the 30-day public comment period closes.

Once coverage is granted, your compliance clock starts. You must develop and keep a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) on site, begin quarterly visual and benchmark monitoring, and submit a Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR) every quarter through the SAW/WQWebDMR system. DMRs are due February 15, May 15, August 15, and November 15 for the preceding quarter, and you must file a DMR even in a quarter with no discharge by reporting “no discharge.”

You also file an Annual Report by May 15 each year for the prior year, covering major changes, benchmark exceedances, and any Level II or Level III corrective actions you have taken or plan to take. Your sampling is judged against benchmarks such as turbidity, pH between 5.0 and 9.0, zinc around 117 µg/L, and copper near 14 µg/L in Western Washington, with quarterly 6PPD-quinone sampling added under the 2025 permit. Exceeding a benchmark does not automatically mean a violation, but it triggers escalating corrective actions you must document.

Mistakes to Avoid When Filling Out the Form

Each error below has stalled real applications, so check your eNOI against this list before you sign.

• Filing late. Submitting fewer than 60 days before operations means you may operate without legal coverage and risk enforcement.
• Wrong NAICS code. A mismatched code can add costly monitoring, demand extra BMPs, or wrongly exclude you from coverage.
• Leaving the SIC blank. A missing SIC stops review until Ecology requests it, burning days off your deadline.
• Using a P.O. Box as the site address. Ecology cannot route or inspect a mailbox, so it sends your file to the wrong administrator.
• Flipping latitude and longitude signs. Bad coordinates place your site in the wrong region and can attach the wrong water quality limits.
• Reporting only one outfall. Unlisted outfalls discharge without coverage, which is a direct permit violation.
• Naming only the storm drain, not the receiving water. Ecology needs the ultimate water body to set the right limits.
• Skipping the SEPA field as a new facility. Coverage cannot be granted without your SEPA decision, so the application halts.
• Filing before publishing public notice. New-facility coverage is not final until the 30-day comment window closes.
• Vague activity descriptions. Writing “general manufacturing” forces follow-up questions and delays your decision.
• Having an unauthorized person sign. An invalid certification makes the whole application defective.
• Forgetting to set up the SAW and Signature accounts first. Without them you cannot reach or sign the eNOI at all.

Do’s and Don’ts

Do: – Do gather all documents first, because the portal times out and does not save partial work well. – Do verify your NAICS and SIC against your real operations, since they control your monitoring and eligibility. – Do walk your site to find every outfall, because hidden pipes and ditches are easy to miss from a desk. – Do file at least 60 days early, so review and any public notice fit before operations start. – Do save your confirmation and submission date, which serve as proof of timely filing. – Do keep your SWPPP ready, because monitoring duties begin the moment coverage is granted.

Don’t: – Don’t guess your codes, since a wrong NAICS can add thousands in sampling or void coverage. – Don’t downplay outdoor exposure, because an inspection that contradicts your eNOI is treated as a false statement. – Don’t use a corporate office address for the site, which routes your file to the wrong county reviewer. – Don’t skip the public notice as a new facility, or your coverage never becomes final. – Don’t let an unauthorized employee sign, which makes the certification invalid. – Don’t assume the city storm drain covers you, because your facility still needs its own ISGP.

Pros and Cons of Filing on Your Own vs. With Help

Many owners file the eNOI themselves, while others hire an environmental consultant; here is how the two compare.

Pros of filing pro se (on your own): – Saves money, because consultant fees for application support can run into the thousands. – Builds in-house knowledge, so your staff understands the permit they must follow for years. – Faster start for simple sites, since a clear-cut facility may not need outside help. – Direct control of the record, so you know exactly what was submitted and when. – Direct line to Ecology, because your county permit administrator will answer filer questions for free.

Cons of filing pro se: – Higher error risk, since codes, outfalls, and SEPA trip up first-time filers. – Time cost, because learning the portal and rules pulls you away from running the business. – Missed nuances, such as impaired-water limits or co-located NAICS that a pro would catch. – No buffer on monitoring, because you also take on DMRs and corrective actions alone. – Deadline pressure, since a rejected eNOI can blow past your 60-day window.

A consultant adds cost but reduces the chance of a costly mistake, which can pay off for complex sites discharging to impaired waters. Whichever path you choose, your free first resource is your county permit administrator and the Washington Stormwater Center’s ISGP assistance pages.

eNOI vs. Conditional No Exposure (CNE)

Some sites can skip full permit coverage by qualifying for a Conditional No Exposure exemption, which means no industrial materials or activity are exposed to stormwater. This table shows the difference so you pick the right path.

eNOI (Full Permit Coverage)	Conditional No Exposure (CNE)
For sites with industrial activity exposed to rain that discharges off-site	For sites with no exposure of materials or activity to stormwater
Requires quarterly DMRs, benchmark monitoring, and a SWPPP	Excludes the site from those permit monitoring requirements
Filed at least 60 days before operations via the WQWebPortal	Requested through Ecology; granted only after Ecology review
Annual permit fee applies	Reduced or no monitoring burden, but you must keep conditions true
Coverage continues as long as you comply	Lost the moment any exposure occurs, returning you to full coverage

To qualify for CNE, you must answer “no” to every exposure question Ecology asks, such as whether machinery, materials, waste, or residuals sit exposed to rain. If even one answer is “yes,” you do not qualify and must file the eNOI. Ecology responds to CNE requests in writing, and a false CNE claim that an inspection later disproves can bring the same enforcement as discharging without a permit.

FAQs

Do I have to file the eNOI online? No. A paper Notice of Intent exists and can be mailed to Ecology in Olympia, but the agency strongly prefers the tracked online eNOI in the WQWebPortal because paper review takes longer.

Do I need a permit if my stormwater goes into a city storm drain? Yes. Discharging to a municipal storm drain still requires your own ISGP coverage, because the city’s permit does not cover industrial activity at your facility.

Do I write my primary NAICS or every NAICS in the code field? Yes. Enter your primary NAICS plus any secondary or co-located NAICS codes for distinct activities, since each one can trigger different monitoring rules.

Do I list the storm drain or the actual creek as my receiving water? No. Listing only the storm drain is not enough; you must name the ultimate receiving water, like the creek or bay, so Ecology can set the correct limits.

Do I report an outfall that sits off my property? Yes. Outfalls can be some distance from your site while discharge points stay at the boundary, and you must list every outfall where stormwater leaves your property.

Do I need to do SEPA if my facility opened in 2015? No. Only facilities that began operating after January 1, 2020, must report a SEPA decision and publish public notice as part of the eNOI.

Do I file the eNOI before or after publishing the newspaper notice? No. Do not file before publishing; new facilities must publish the public notice and complete the 30-day comment period for coverage to become final.

Do I pay a fee when I submit the eNOI? No. There is no fee to submit the application itself, but Ecology bills an annual permit fee by invoice once coverage begins.

Do I have to file a DMR in a quarter with no discharge? Yes. You must still submit a Discharge Monitoring Report and report “no discharge,” because skipping it is a reporting violation.

Do I qualify for Conditional No Exposure if I store materials outside? No. If any industrial materials or activity are exposed to stormwater, you do not qualify for CNE and must file the eNOI.

Do I lose coverage if I miss the 60-day filing window? Yes. Filing late can leave you operating without legal coverage, which exposes you to Clean Water Act enforcement and penalties.

Do I, as a consultant, sign the eNOI for my client? No. A consultant can prepare the eNOI, but a properly authorized company official must apply the certification signature.

Do I use the site address or my office address in the location field? No. Never use your office or mailing address; enter the physical site address, because it sets your local administrator and benchmark region.

Do I need both a SAW account and an Ecology Signature account? Yes. You need a Secure Access Washington login plus an Ecology Signature account before the WQWebPortal will let you reach and sign the eNOI.