Ecology has initiated an agency rulemaking action to update our Water Quality Permit Fees (Chapter 173-224 WAC). This chapter carries out Ecology’s requirement under RCW 90.48.465 to establish, by rule, annual fees to recover Ecology’s program cost of administering the wastewater and stormwater permit programs. This chapter also considers the economic impact of our fees on permitted small dischargers and public entities, and makes appropriate adjustments where applicable. Ecology strives to update this chapter every two years to ensure our permit fees reflect the most current costs to Ecology and impacts on our permittees. We use these fees to recover our program costs to administer our permit programs, which protect Washington’s waters from pollution. This rule covers a statewide geographical scope. The anticipated impact of this rulemaking action is limited to the permitted facilities that pay these fees. This rulemaking action does not expect to introduce new environmental impacts or impacts specific to overburdened communities, vulnerable populations, and Tribes.