Ten States Standards - 2014 Edition

The "Recommended Standards for Wastewater Facilities" by the Great Lakes - Upper Mississippi River Board of State and Provincial Public Health and Environmental Managers, commonly referred to as the Ten States Standards, is referenced in state rules and used by the Iowa DNR to supplement Iowa's Wastewater Facilities Design Standards. Iowa is represented on the Board. The 2014 Edition is available online from the Ten States Standards website. This wastewater facilities design document is an update prepared jointly by a board including ten Midwestern states and the Province of Ontario.

Iowa DNR does not stock paper copies. A bound paper copy may be obtained by contacting the Minnesota Department of Administration’s Bookstore. Cost per copy is $19.95 plus shipping. Online Ordering of this Item No. 14467 can be done at www.mnbookstore.com. Phone 1-800-657-3757 for quantity discounts.

Design Standards Update

The Iowa Wastewater Facilities Design Standards (IWFDS) were adopted in the late 1970's and early 1980's. The Iowa DNR initiated a review of selected Chapters (11, 12, 13, 14, and 18C) in 2018, and revisions were proposed. As part of the required rule review for Executive Order 10 (EO10), all of the chapters in the IWFDS are being reviewed and revised. Copies of the proposed revisions can be downloaded using the links below. See the Water Quality Rulemaking page for more information on EO10 and the proposed rule revisions associated with EO10.


Proposed Changes August 2024

Proposed Changes May 2021
Chapter 11 - Project Submittals Chapter 11, Clean Copy Chapter 11, Compare Copy
Chapter 12 - Iowa Standards for Sewer Systems Chapter 12, Clean Copy Chapter 12, Compare Copy
Chapter 13 - Wastewater Pumping Stations and Force Mains Chapter 13, Clean Copy Chapter 13, Compare Copy
Chapter 14 - Wastewater Treatment Works Chapter 14, Clean Copy Chapter 14, Compare Copy
Chapter 18c - Wastewater Treatment Ponds (Lagoons) Chapter 18c, Clean Copy Chapter 18c, Compare Copy

Responses to Comments
May 2021 Responses to Comments


Proposed Changes June 2018
Chapter 11 - Project Submittals Chapter 11, Clean Copy Chapter 11, Compare Copy
Chapter 12 - Iowa Standards for Sewer Systems Chapter 12, Clean Copy Chapter 12, Compare Copy
Chapter 13 - Wastewater Pumping Stations and Force Mains Chapter 13, Clean Copy Chapter 13, Compare Copy
Chapter 14 - Wastewater Treatment Works Chapter 14, Clean Copy Chapter 14, Compare Copy
Chapter 18c - Wastewater Treatment Ponds (Lagoons) Chapter 18c, Clean Copy Chapter 18c, Compare Copy

Send questions and comments to:

Satya Chennupati at Satya.Chennupati@dnr.iowa.gov