Permit Application, Options & Fees

Permit Requirements

There are three general classes of activities that must be covered by stormwater permits. These are:

1. Construction activity that disturbs one or more acres or which is part of a larger project that disturbs one or more acres in total.
2. Certain types of industrial or commercial activities.
3. Many city storm sewer systems in larger communities or those near larger communities. 

Please note, any discharge from a facility or construction site that may temporarily degrade an Outstanding National Resource Water or Outstanding State Resource Water is required to be permitted by an individual NPDES permit, as stipulated in 567 Chapter 64 of the Iowa Administrative Code and in the Iowa Antidegradation Implementation Procedure. General permit coverage is not available for these discharges. The list of these waters is located in Appendix B of the Antidegradation Implementation Procedure. 

Stormwater general permit applications (NOIs) may be submitted online at the Online Stormwater General Permit Database.

No Exposure Exemption

If all industrial materials and activities at your facility are protected by a storm resistant shelter that prevents exposure to rain, snow, snowmelt, and/or runoff, you may not need a stormwater permit. Industrial materials or activities include, but are not limited to,

• material handling equipment or activities (including storage, loading and unloading, transportation, or conveyance of raw material, intermediate product, final product, or waste product);
• industrial machinery;
• raw materials;
• intermediate products;
• by-products;
• final products; or
• waste products.

To qualify for a no exposure exemption, complete and submit the No Exposure Certification Form. A No-Exposure Certification must be provided for each qualifying facility.

The no exposure exemption is ONLY available on a facility-wide basis; it is not for individual outfalls. If any industrial activities or materials at your facility are exposed to precipitation, the facility is not eligible for the exemption.

Fees

All stormwater general permit applications (NOIs) must be accompanied by the following fees:

• 1 year - $175.00     
• 3 years - $350.00     
• 4 years - $525.00     
• 5 years - $700.00

When a stormwater discharger submits a complete NOI and fee to the Iowa DNR, the discharger is agreeing to meet the terms and conditions of the general permit.

Application Deadlines for New Stormwater Discharges

For coverage under a general stormwater discharge permit, a complete Notice of Intent (NOI) must be submitted to DNR and an authorization approved and issued by the Department prior to the start of operations or soil disturbing activities, as specified in 567-64.3(4)"b" of the Iowa Administrative Code.

For an individual NPDES permit, an application must be submitted 180 days prior to the start of operation.

Options for Stormwater NPDES Permit

There are two options available when applying for an NPDES permit for a stormwater discharge associated with industrial activity:

1. Applying for coverage under a general stormwater permit
2. Applying for an individual permit, as described below.

General Stormwater NPDES Permits

A stormwater discharger may apply for coverage under a general permit by submitting a Notice of Intent (NOI) for coverage. General permits are NPDES permits that contain the terms and conditions of a permit for a certain class of facilities. General permits are not specific to any one discharger; rather, the general permit identifies which dischargers may be eligible for coverage under the general permit.

The Iowa DNR has adopted three general permits for stormwater, as follows:

• General Permit No. 1 - Stormwater Discharge Associated With Industrial Activity (Excludes Construction)
• General Permit No. 2 - Stormwater Associated With Industrial Activity For Construction Activities (Land Disturbing 1 Acre Or More)
• General Permit No. 3 - Stormwater Discharge Associated With Industrial Activity From Asphalt Plants, Concrete Batch Plants, Rock Crushing Plants, And Construction Sand And Gravel Facilities

The general permits can be viewed on the Permits, Guidance & Application Forms webpage.

The stormwater general permits are applicable to discharges composed of only stormwater. Mixtures of stormwater and non-stormwater where the non-stormwater would require an individual NPDES permit are not covered by Iowa's stormwater general permits (refer to the specific general permit for additional details). In addition, discharges which have a federal effluent limit or which may temporarily degrade an Outstanding National Resource Water or Outstanding State Resource Water may not be covered by a stormwater general permit.

Dischargers who apply for coverage under a general permit must complete and submit an NOI. A complete NOI includes the following information:

1. Form 1415,
2. Proof of public notification, and
3. General permit fee.

To submit an NOI online, use the Online Stormwater General Permit Database.

Paper NOI forms and guidance are also available on Guidance & Forms.

Individual NPDES Permits

An individual NPDES permit is only applicable to one discharger and is issued for a specific discharge. Only one individual permit will be issued to a facility. If a discharger has an existing individual NPDES permit, that permit will be modified to include its stormwater outfalls. 

Any discharge with a federal effluent limit is required to be permitted by an individual NPDES permit. Any discharge from a facility or construction site that may temporarily degrade an Outstanding National Resource Water or Outstanding State Resource Water is required to be permitted by an individual NPDES permit, as stipulated in 567 Chapter 64 of the Iowa Administrative Code and in the Iowa Antidegradation Implementation Procedure. General permit coverage is not available for these discharges. The list of these waters is located in Appendix B of the Antidegradation Implementation Procedure.

The five year permit fee for an individual stormwater NPDES permit is $1250.00.

Applicants applying for an individual permit must complete Iowa DNR Industrial Application Form 1, Form 2F, and Form 5. Additional forms may be required if stormwater is mixed with non-process wastewater (Form 2); process waste water from existing sources (Form 3); or process waste water from new sources (Form 4). 

These individual permit application forms are available in the NPDES Wastewater Application Forms.