General Permits

Topics:

Wastewater Permitting

On this page...

General NPDES Permits
General Permit Renewals
Iowa DNR General Permit Databases

General NPDES Permits

The Iowa DNR has issued nine General NPDES Permits. They are as follows:

General Permit #1, Stormwater Discharge Associated with Industrial Activity, effective March 1, 2023 to February 29, 2028.
General Permit #2, Stormwater Discharge Associated with Construction Activities, effective March 1, 2023 to February 29, 2028.
General Permit #3, Stormwater Discharge Associated with Industrial Activity for Asphalt Plants, Concrete Batch Plants, Rock Crushing Plants, and Construction Sand and Gravel Facilities, effective March 1, 2023 to February 29, 2028.
General Permit #4, Discharge from Private Sewage Disposal Systems, effective March 1, 2023 to February 29, 2028.
General Permit #5, Discharge from Mining and Processing Facilities, effective July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2028.
General Permit #6, Discharge Associated with Well Construction Activities, effective July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2028.
General Permit #7, Pesticide General Permit (PGP) for Point Source Discharges to Waters of the United States From the Application of Pesticides, effective July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2028.
General Permit #8, NPDES and State Operation permit, Discharge from Hydrostatic Testing, Tank Ballasting and Water Lines, effective July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2028.
General Permit #9, NPDES and State Operation permit, Dewatering and Residential Geothermal Systems, effective July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2028.

For more information on the general permits, please follow the links above.

General Permit Renewals

Renewal of General Permit #4

The DNR is hosting an informal stakeholder meeting on February 4, 2026, regarding the renewal of NPDES General Permit #4 (GP #4) for discharges from private sewage disposal wastewater systems (also known as onsite systems). The purpose of this meeting is to accept comments and answer questions on changes to GP #4. The current general permit expires on February 28, 2028. Formal rulemaking to renew GP #4 is expected to begin in mid 2026. More information on the meeting and a redline-stakeout version of the informal draft renewal permit is available on the General Permit #4 webpage.

Renewal of General Permits #5, #6, and #7

The DNR is hosting an informal stakeholder meeting on March 3, 2026, regarding the proposed five-year renewals of NPDES General Permits #5, #6, and #7 (GPs #5-7). The purpose of this meeting is to accept comments and answer questions on possible changes to GPs #5, #6, and #7. The DNR is specifically seeking comments on the clarity, feasibility, and potential impact of the proposed changes. All three of the general permits will expire on June 30, 2028. Formal rulemaking to renew these GPs is expected to begin in mid 2026. More information on the meeting and a redline-stakeout version of each of the informal draft renewal permits is available on the General Permit #5, General Permit #6, and General Permit #7 webpages.

Iowa DNR General Permit Databases

The Stormwater General Permit Database allows registered users to submit a notice of intent to obtain coverage under Stormwater General Permits #1, #2, and #3. The general public may search the stormwater permits system for information on stormwater authorizations. Use the following link to view the Stormwater General Permit Database.

The General Permits 5, 8 and 9 Database allows new applicants and existing permittees to register for an account and submit electronic Notices of Intent (eNOI) for coverage under General Permit #5, #8 or #9 . The public can also search for and view information on authorizations for General Permits #5, #8, or #9. Use the following link to view the: General Permits 5, 8, & 9 Database.

Basic Information on NPDES General Permits

General NPDES Permits allow the Iowa DNR to allocate resources in an efficient manner to provide more timely permit coverage. For example, many facilities that have common elements may be covered under a general permit without expending the time and money necessary to issue individual permits to each facility. In addition, using a general permit ensures consistency of permit conditions for similar facilities.

A General NPDES Permit covers multiple facilities within a specific category. General permits can be cost-effective, as a large number of facilities can be covered under a single permit. A general permit may be written to cover categories of point sources having common elements.

The process for developing and issuing General NPDES Permits is similar to the process for individual permits. However, there are differences in the order of events. The Iowa DNR first identifies the need for a general permit by collecting data demonstrating that a group of dischargers has similarities that warrant a general permit. In deciding whether to develop a general permit, the Iowa DNR will consider the following:

Are there a large number of facilities to be covered?
Do the facilities have similar production processes or activities?
Do the facilities generate similar pollutants?
Do only a small percentage of the facilities have the potential for violations of water quality standards?

The remaining steps of the permit process are similar to those for individual permits. The Iowa DNR develops the draft general permit and rationale, issues a public notice, addresses public comments, and issues the final permit. However, General NPDES Permits in Iowa must be adopted by rule, so the public notice, response to comments, and issuance of the general permit are all part of the rulemaking process. For more information on the rulemaking process, see the NPDES Rules page.

After a general permit has been issued, facilities may either submit a paper or electronic Notice of Intent (NOI) to the Iowa DNR for coverage under the permit (General Permits No. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8 and 9), or a facility may automatically be covered by the general permit (General Permits No. 6, 7, 8 and 9). Upon receipt of an NOI, the Iowa DNR may either request additional information from the facility, notify the facility that it is covered by the general permit, or require the facility to apply for an individual permit.