Anacortes braces for accelerated wastewater upgrades amid new Puget Sound nitrogen limits

Anacortes braces for accelerated wastewater upgrades amid new Puget Sound nitrogen limitsCity officials are seeking a 30-day extension to review a draft NPDES permit that will tighten nitrogen discharge regulations and force an earlier-than-expected capital upgrade at the municipal wastewater treatment plant.

The city received a draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit that will impact allowable nitrogen output into Puget Sound.

Consultants are drafting a technical memo in response, and the city has requested an additional 30 days beyond the standard 45-day public comment period to assess the impact.

While the facility currently meets existing nitrogen limits, the new regulatory changes are expected to accelerate the necessary upgrade window for the plant.

In separate business, the council delayed the March's Point Road water main project, pushing construction of a new 30-inch HDPE pipeline to 2028.

The City of Anacortes, Washington, is preparing for an accelerated timeline on future wastewater treatment plant upgrades following the receipt of a new draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. During the August 3, 2026, city council meeting, a Public Works Committee report highlighted that the new draft permit will impose stricter regulations on the amount of nitrogen the city can discharge into Puget Sound. While the municipal wastewater treatment plant is currently meeting existing nitrogen limits, officials noted that the impending regulatory changes will force the city to address capital upgrades sooner than originally anticipated. "It's probably going to accelerate the upgrade window for needing to address nitrogen levels," a council member stated during the committee report. "Right now we are meeting them, and for the near future we should be okay... but it will not last forever, and so we need to make sure that we understand the impact it has." In response to the draft permit, the city has engaged consultants to prepare a technical memo. Anacortes has also formally requested a 30-day extension to the standard 45-day public comment period to fully evaluate the new nitrogen discharge requirements. A staff and consultant workshop regarding the wastewater treatment plant is scheduled for October 8. In separate water infrastructure action, the city council approved a contract modification via the consent agenda for the March's Point Road Water Main project. The project, which involves replacing an existing 20-inch steel main with a new 30-inch HDPE water main, has been temporarily put on hold. The design phase with consultant Kimley-Horn will now resume in 2027, with construction slated for 2028. The city's capital facility plan has earmarked $2 million in 2027 and $8 million in 2028 for the pipeline extension.