Iowa IDNR NPDES Permit

All prospective owners or operators of construction projects that will disturb one or more acres of total land area must apply for coverage under the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) NPDES General Permit #2 for "Industrial Activities Associated with Construction Activities" prior to construction.

The IDNR NPDES permitting process requires the development of a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) and the submission of a Notice of Intent (NOI).

Inquire about the IDNR Stormwater program at 515-725-8417 or by visiting the following links.

• IDNR Website
• Stormwater Forms

City of Iowa City Construction Site Runoff (CSR) Permit

Subdivision
After a subdivision is approved, a CSR permit is required before public improvements (streets, sanitary sewers, storm water conveyances) can be constructed. During this phase of development, the CSR is administered and enforced by Public Works and Engineering.

Individual Lots
The Building Division administers and enforces CSR permits for residential, commercial, and industrial construction. Before a building permit can be issued, Building Division staff must approve the CSR permit documents and plans, and an inspector must verify that effective perimeter controls are installed at the site.

Forms

• Checklist of Required Items To Be Submitted for a CSR Permit
• Certification Statement for Subcontractors
• Sample Inspection Forms
• Standards and Conditions for Stormwater Pollution Prevention
• Full Packet (All Forms)

CSR permit issuance depends on the following.

1. A properly completed CSR application
2. A reviewed and approved SWPPP
3. A copy of the IDNR NOI
4. An issued IDNR General Permit #2 number
5. A copy of the required SWPPP public notification

Construction activities may proceed once the CSR permit has been issued and the proper installation of required Best Management Practices (BMPs) have been inspected and approved by Neighborhood and Development Services or Public Works.

The Clean Water Act, enforced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, was designed to control water pollution throughout the United States by regulating point and non-point sources that discharge pollutants into the country's waters. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) is tasked on the state level to enforce the US EPA NPDES storm water regulations through a permitting process. The IDNR's Stormwater program was implemented in several phases.

The first stage of the Iowa NPDES storm water program, Phase I, required permits for "medium" to "large" municipalities and construction activities of 5-acres of land or more. Only Des Moines and Cedar Rapids were impacted by this first phase in the late 1990s. The NPDES Phase II implementation extended requirements to include smaller municipalities and land disturbing activities of one or more acres. Forty-three additional Iowa cities, including Iowa City, are now required to administer storm water quality programs throughout their communities.

Requirements in Iowa City

As a requirement of Iowa City's NPDES Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Permit (2012), a Construction Site Runoff (CSR) Permit must be obtained and Best Management Practices (BMPs) implemented prior to any construction activities that will disturb one or more acres and for construction activities of any size within a larger development.

The CSR permit and inspection process are designed to prevent storm water pollution to the maximum extent possible, and ensure that all Iowa City construction activities comply with the NPDES General Permit #2 for Industrial Activities Associated with Construction Activities.

Development's Stormwater Information

Contact the residential development's current owner or the individual from whom the property was purchased in order to obtain the following stormwater information:

• IDNR NPDES Permit Authorization
• Notice of Transfer (if applicable)

For more information on Development's stormwater compliance process, refer to Projects of One or More Acres above.

City of Iowa City Construction Site Runoff Permit

Building Inspection Services requires the following documents, which can be found in our Construction Site Runoff Permit Application Packet (below), must be submitted in order to obtain a CSR Permit:

Application

Construction Site Runoff (CSR) Permit Applications can now be found in the City's Customer Self-Service (CSS) portal.

Complete application includes:

1. A properly completed CSR application
2. Project Subcontractors and Estimated Scheduling
3. Design Standards/Special Conditions
4. Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) that details site stormwater pollution prevention controls

Construction activities may proceed once the pollution prevention measures have been inspected and approved by the Building Division, and after the CSR and building permits have been issued.