Council approves Skagit County discharge agreement to support Whit Marsh landfill cleanup

City staff presented a negotiated discharge agreement with Skagit County to accept dewatered water from the Whit Marsh landfill remediation (a Model Toxics Cleanup Act site). Staff said Department of Ecology required the county to discharge the water to sanitary sewer because the water exceeds surface-water discharge standards. Wastewater manager Brian Walker worked with the county to set contaminant limits and testing frequency; the agreement contains a contaminant table, required monitoring, a monthly administrative fee, a permit fee and consumption-based charges per gallon.

Key terms: the agreement runs up to 600 days or until substantial completion of county work; the city can interrupt or terminate acceptance if contaminants or hydraulic loads threaten plant compliance; the contract allows staff access for inspection and requires regular testing. Staff said the expected volume is on the order of a few million gallons and represents about 10% of the plant’s dry-weather flow capacity, which city staff judge manageable. Manganese was cited as the primary parameter exceeding surface-water standards and the parties agreed monitoring and termination rights to protect the treatment plant.

Council approved the agreement; staff noted urgency because the county contractor was mobilized and waiting for discharge authorization.