Iowa
Clean Watersheds Needs Survey 2008
The Clean Watersheds Needs
Survey (CWNS) is a comprehensive
assessment of needs1 to meet the water
quality and water-related public health
goals of the Clean Water Act (CWA).
States and the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) conduct the
CWNS every four years under CWA
Section 516 (b). Iowa documented
needs totaling $3.7 billion in 2008.
This is a 212 percent increase from the
$1.2 billion in needs documented in
2004.
Documented Needs in Iowa
Needs (2008 Dollars, Millions)
Type of Need
2004
2008
Percent Change
Wastewater treatment
$350
$1,841
426%
Pipe repair and new pipes
$274
$806
194%
Recycled water distribution
nra
nr
0%
Combined sewer overflow correction
$506
$748
48%
Total Wastewater Treatment Needs
$1,130
$3,395
200%
Conveyance infrastructure
n/a
$11
n/a
Treatment systems
n/a
$4
n/a
Green infrastmcture
n/a
$4
n/a
General stormwater management
$2
$16
700%
Total Stormwater Management Needsb
$2
$34
>1,000%
Agriculture (cropland) best management practices (BMPs)
nr
$26
n/a
Agriculture (animals) BMPs
nr
nr
0%
Silviculture (forestry) BMPs
nr
nr
0%
Ground water protection: unknown source BMPs
nr
nr
0%
Marinas BMPs
nr
nr
0%
Resource extraction BMPs
nr
nr
0%
Brownfields remediation
nr
nr
0%
Storage tank remediation
nr
nr
0%
Sanitary landfills BMPs
nr
$66
n/a
Hydromodification (Water resource restoration and protection)
nr
$197
n/a
Other estuary management activities0
n/a
nr
n/a
Total Nonpoint Source Control NeedsM
nr
$288
n/a
Total Decentralized Wastewater Treatment Needsb'd
$62
$3
-95%.
Total Needs
$1,194
$3,720
212%.
aNot reported; Actual needs may be higher, since documenting these needs is difficult; °In 2004, Other Estuary Management
Needs were reported under Separate State Estimates (SSEs); dNot included in Official Needs in the Report to Congress.
None reported
<5
5-15
> 15
1 Documented needs in the CWNS include the unfunded capital costs of projects as of January 1, 2008 that address a water
quality or a water quality-related public health problem existing as of January 1, 2008, or expected to occur within the next 20
years; and meet the seven CWNS documentation criteria. All needs are in January 2008 dollars.

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Iowa
Clean Watersheds Needs Survey 2008
Wastewater Treatment Facilities
The enactment of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in 1972 resulted in dramatic improvements in the:
•	Number of wastewater treatment plants.
•	Percentage of the population served by wastewater treatment plants.
•	Quality of effluent treatment from wastewater treatment facilities.
In 2008, 86% of Iowa residents received centralized wastewater treatment services at the secondary,
advanced, or no discharge treatment level, compared to 26% in 1972.
Number of Centralized Treatment Facilities and Population Served
Number of Facilities
Population Served
%Total	%Total
Population	Population
Treatment Level
1972
2008
Projected"
1972
1972
2008
2008
Projected3
Less than Secondary
100
0
0
1,063,000
37
0
0
0
Secondary
72
703
689
399,000
14
2,176,587
73
2,313,945
Advanced
21
47
77
345,000
12
393,971
13
655,424
No Discharge
0
1
1
0
0
209
<1
192
Total
193
751
767
1,807,000
63
2,570,767
86
2,969,561
a Number of facilities and population served if all needs documented in the CWNS 2008 are met.
Small Communities
In Iowa, small community wastewater
facilities serve 27% of the population
and comprise 43% of total wastewater
treatment and collection needs. EPA
small community support information is
available at:
www. epa. gov/owm/mab/smcomm
Reported Needs for Facilities in Small Communities
Facilities

1 Needs (2008 Dollars, Millions)
Population
2004
2008
2004
2008
0-999
106
137
$104
$1,174
1,000-3,499
79
90
$146
$196
3,500-10,000
7
19
$24
$87
Total
192
246
$274
$1,458
Visit www.epa.gov/cwns for more information including:
•	Detailed Reports to Congress
•	Other state fact sheets
•	Maps, charts, and data downloads for projects, facilities, watersheds, counties, congressional
districts, cities, states, and regions

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