DES MOINES – The DNR will hold two public stakeholder meetings in May to answer questions and collect public comments on two proposed National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) wastewater general permits.
Meetings will be held May 3 in the DNR Water Supply Office in the Wallace State Office Building, 502 East Ninth St. in Des Moines, in the second floor conference room (2N). A meeting from 10 a.m. to noon will discuss a potential general wastewater permit for hydrostatic test water, underground storage tank ballast water, and potable water line testing discharges (General Permit Number 8). A second meeting from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. will discuss a potential general wastewater permit for dewatering and residential geothermal discharges (General Permit Number 9).
If issued, General Permit 8 would authorize discharges resulting from hydrostatic testing, which is a process that uses water to verify that a container, like a pipe or tank, will not leak when put into service. The permit would also authorize discharges from underground storage tank ballasting (where water is used to weigh down a tank at installation) and from potable water line testing.
General Permit 9, if issued, would authorize discharges of wastewater from excavation and groundwater dewatering activities. It would also authorize discharges to waters of the United States from residential open-loop geothermal systems.
Both permits will establish eligibility requirements and best management practices to ensure discharges meet state water quality standards.
Drafts of the permits are available online at www.iowadnr.gov/Environmental-Protection/Water-Quality/NPDES-Wastewater-Permitting.
People may ask questions on the proposed permits and make oral comments at the public meetings, or may submit written comments through May 10 to Julie Faas, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 502 E. Ninth Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0034; fax at 515-725-8202; or by email, including the commenter’s name, to Julie.Faas@dnr.iowa.gov.