Design Standards

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.

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

Responses to Comments

Proposed Changes June 2018

Send questions and comments to:

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

• Chapter 11 - Project Submittals, Chapter 11 Update Presentation
• Chapter 12 - Iowa Standards for Sewer Systems, Chapter 12 Update Presentation
• Chapter 13 - Wastewater Pumping Stations and Force Mains, Chapter 13 Update Presentation
• Chapter 14 - Wastewater Treatment Works, Chapter 14 Update Presentation
• Chapter 18c - Wastewater Treatment Ponds (Lagoons), Chapter 18c Update Presentation