King County warns Ecology nutrient plan could cost $10–$20 billion and urges collaborative, science-based approach

King County wastewater officials told the Regional Water Quality Committee on Sept. 3 that Washington State Department of Ecology's draft nutrient reduction plan and voluntary general permit could require one of the largest water-quality investments in state history and will need more collaborative work before it is finalized. "Upgrading King County's wastewater treatment system could cost on the order of $10 billion to $20 billion or more measured in today's dollars," Director Cameron Gural of the Wastewater Treatment Division said, calling the investment "very expensive" and saying it would take decades to implement.

Gural said the division submitted detailed comment letters to Ecology on Aug. 27 and recommended changes to the draft plan and permit. He told the committee that King County supports the "mechanism" of a permit-based approach but raised concerns about technical assumptions, timelines and cost estimates. He said Ecology appears to be using…