United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
Regulations and Standards
Washington, DC 20460
SPA 440/5-8&-047
September 1968
State Water Quality
Standards Summary:
Iowa
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DISCLAIMER
Pub^ication was Prepared by Battelle under contract to
Environmental Protection Agency (Contract 68-03-3534)
nh= informati°n sources were used to compile data presented
in this document. Each State was given an opportunity to review
and provide comments on a draft of this information document In
no event shall either the United States or Battelle have any
responsibility or liability for any use, misuse, or reliance upon
the information contained herein, nor does either warrant or
otherwise represent in any way the accuracy, adequacy, efficacy
or applicability of the contents hereof. ««icacy,
r^^ re.fd!r ^hould consult the water quality standards of a
particular State for exact regulatory language applicable to that
?r™6' *>, C°P"S °? State water quality standards may be obtained
equivalent S Pollution Control Agency or its
Additional information may also be obtained from the:
Standards Branch
Criteria and Standards Division (WH-585)
Office of Water Regulations and Standards
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Washington, D.C. 20460
202-475-7315
This document may be obtained only from the National Technical
Information Service (NTIS) at the following address:
National Technical Information Service
5285 Front Royal Road
Springfield, Virginia 22161
703-487-4650
The NTIS order number is: PB89-141790 ^
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IOWA
Responsible Agency:
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Henry A. Wallace Building
900 East Brand Avenue
Des Hoines
515-281-7706
50319
State Contact:
Hr. Lavoy Haage
Supervisor
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
900 E. Grand Avenue
Des Hoines
50319
515-281-7706
Standards Available From:
Lavoy Haage
Iowa Departtent of Natural Resources
900 E. Grand Avenue
State Contact:
Des Hoines
515-281-7706
50319
Fee:
Hailing List: no
State Narrative Language For: Antidegradation
(a) Existing surface water uses and the level of water necessary to protect the existing uses will be
•aintained and protected.
(b) Those existing high quality waters will be taintained at or above existing quality, except when, after
full satisfaction of the intergovernmental coordination and public participation provisions of the continuing
planning process, it is deteriined that there is need to lower the chemical quality because of necessary and
justifiable economic or social development. In allowing such degradation or lower chemical quality the state
shall assure adequate chemical quality to fully protect existing uses.
(c) It is intended that rules defining facility design criteria, discharge Imitations and other restrictions
will be adopted by the commission for specific application to antidegradation waters.
It is the intent of the antidegradation policy to protect and maintain the existing physical, biological, and
cheiical integrity of all waters of the state.
-For those waters of the state designated as high quality or high quality resource waters and the Mississippi
and Missouri Rivers, any proposed activity that will adversely impact the existing physical, cheiical, or
biological integrity of the water will not be consistent with Iowa's water quality standards. Hitigation will
not be allowed except in highly unusual situations where no other project alternatives exist.
This policy shall be enforced in conjunction with water quality certification review pursuant to Section 401
of the Act, flood plain development permit review, and any other periit issued by this department. In the
event that no periit is required from this department for the activity or the activity is exempted from
departmental permit regulation, any action not consistent with this policy shall be construed as a water
quality standards violation.
State Narrative Language For: Toxics
All waters, at ail times, at all places shall be free from substances attributable to wastewater discharges or
agricultural practices in concentrations or combinations which are toxic or harmful to human, animal, or
plant life.
State Narrative Language For: Free From
The following criteria are applicable to all surface waters at all places and at all times to protect live-
stock and wildlife watering, aquatic life, noncontact recreation, crop irrigation, and industrial, domestic,
agricultural and other incidental water withdrawal uses not protected by class A, B, or C criteria in this
rule.
A. Such waters shall be free from substances attributable to point source wastewater discharges that will
settle to form sludge deposits.
B. Such waters shall be free from floating debris, oil, grease, scum and other floating materials attribut-
able to wastewater discharges or agricultural practices in amounts sufficient to create a nuisance.
C. Such waters shall be free from materials attributable to wastewater discharges or agricultural practices
producing objectionable color, odor or other aesthetically objectionable conditions.
D. Such waters shall be free from substances attributable to wastewater discharges or agricultural practices
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in concentrations or combinations which are toxic or harmful to huian, animal, or plant life
E. Such waters shall be free frpi substances attributable to wastewater discharges or agricultural victim
in quantities which Mould produce undesirable or nuisance aquatic life. Agricultural practices,
State Narrative Language Fors Low Flow
Implementation strategy - These water quality standards shall be met at all tint when the flow of the
receiving strea. equals or exceeds the average seven-day low flow which occurs once in ten years. E ceptions
•ay be made or intermittent or low flow strea.s. Where intermittent or low flow streams are class "ed f,
ass B aquatic life protection the department ,ay waive the seven-day, ten-year low flow requi d
establish a minimum flow in lieu thereof.
State Narrative Language For: Mixing Zones
The mixing zone shall be a specified linear distance, volume, or area which is determined on a case-by-case
asis using the folowing criteria: The flixing zone „„„;
a Be as smal as practicable and shall not be of such size or shape to cause or contribute to impairment.
b Contain not more than 25Z of the cross sectional area or volume of flow in the receiving body of water.
c Be designed to allow an adequate passageway at all times for the movement or drift of aquatic life
(d) Where there are two or more nixing zones in close proximity, they shall be so defined that a continuous
passageway for aquatic life is available.
(e) The mixing zone shall not intersect any area of any waters in such a manner that the maintenance of
aquatic life in the body of water as a whole would be adversely affected.
In determining the sue and location of the mixing zone for any discharge on a case-by-case basis, the
following shall be considered:
(f) The size of the receiving water, the volume of discharge, the strean bank configuration, the mixing
velocities, and other hydrologic or physiographic characteristics;
(g) The present and anticipated future use of the body of inter;
(h) The present and anticipated future water quality of the body of water;
(i) The ratio of the volume of waste being discharged to the 7-day, 10-year flow of the receiving stream: and
J] The mixing zone shall be free from unsightly floating materials and wastewater constituents in concentra-
tions which are toxic or harmful to human, animal or plant life, which will settle to form sludge deposits, or
which will produce aesthetically objectionable color or odor.
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Classifications:
Class A Waters Maters which are designated as Class A Maters are to be protected for oriurv
contact water use. H J
Class B Waters Haters which are designated as Class B Haters are to be protected for wildlife
fish, aquatic and seii-aquatic life and secondary contact water uses. '
Class C Haters Haters which are designated as Class C Haters are to be protected as a raw water
source of potable water supply.
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fll1 "ass ft Waters Class B Haters Class C Waters
L135S6S
Physical
PH
Upper Value 9.0
Loner Value 6.5
Dissolved Oxygen
T Lo;erVilu« 4.0 .g/L
Te.perature "
Upper Value Marr
Teiperature Change
Upper Value N
Turbidity
Upper Value Narr.
Total Dissolved Solids
Upper Value 750 .g/L
Nutrients
Toxic Metals
Arsenic
'•«
"PPBr,ValUB 0.01 «,/L 0.01 .g/L
SecondaryUpperLi.it 0.0012 «/L U/L
Chro.iu. - Hexavalent ^ i?/L
°'°5
°'°2
Upper Value Oi005 ^ c§82 §g/L
M <9/L °'°5 ^
Upper Value 0>05 ug/L Oi002 §g/L
gij Jpper 0>1 ig/L 0>01 §g/L
0.05 .g7L
Pesticides
Organics
, Phenol
UPPerValue ' 0.05 .g/L 0.05 «g/L
Bacteria
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Fecal Colifroi
Upper Value
All
Classes
Narr.
Class A Haters Class B Haters Class C Haters
Narr.
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