Nutrient Reduction Strategy

Topics:

Wastewater Permitting
Water Quality

Iowa NRS

The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (NRS) is a science and technology-based approach to assess and reduce nutrients delivered to Iowa waterways and the Gulf of Mexico. It outlines voluntary efforts to reduce nutrients in surface water from both point sources, such as wastewater treatment plants and industrial facilities, and nonpoint sources, including farm fields and urban areas, in a scientific, reasonable and cost effective manner.

The full strategy, including Annual Progress Reports and strategy revisions, are available at: www.nutrientstrategy.iastate.edu. 

For more information on the effects of the Nutrient Reduction Strategy on wastewater treatment plants, please refer to the Nutrient Strategy wastewater fact sheet.

NRS List of Affected Facilities

Section 3 of the NRS discusses the wastewater treatment facilities affected by the NRS.  The list of affected facilities is available at the following link: Iowa NRS Facility List for Strategy Document.

Nutrient Reduction Exchange (NRE)

The Iowa Nutrient Reduction Exchange (NRE) is a voluntary, market-based framework that helps Iowa communities and industries work together to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus reaching our state’s rivers, lakes, and streams.

The NRE provides a practical way for point sources (such as wastewater treatment facilities) and nonpoint sources (such as farms implementing conservation practices) to collaborate in achieving nutrient reduction goals under the NRS.

  • Point sources can earn credit for nutrient reductions achieved on their own systems or by supporting verified conservation projects offsite.
  • Nonpoint sources can generate nutrient reductions by implementing conservation practices that meet NRE verification standards.
  • The Exchange framework ensures consistent quantification, reporting, and tracking of nutrient reductions that are transparent, science-based, and verifiable.

Through this process, wastewater utilities can meet nutrient reduction targets while investing in conservation practices that also improve soil health, water quality, and wildlife habitat.

View accepted practices from Iowa communities on the Registry. For instructions on how to submit NRE practices, see the Help and User Guides.

Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs)

The Iowa NRE is supported by a series of Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) between the Iowa DNR and participating municipal wastewater utilities and communities. These MOUs formally outline how the DNR and each community will collaborate to identify, implement, and document nutrient reduction projects under the NRE framework.

The agreements are voluntary and are designed to help communities explore innovative ways to meet nutrient reduction goals established in the NRS, while also supporting water quality improvements in local watersheds.

Hypoxia Task Force (HTF)

As part of the Iowa DNR's goal to reduce the amount of nutrients leaving the state, the DNR participates in the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force (the Hypoxia Task Force [HTF]). This HTF is is a federal, state, and tribal partnership established in 1997 to gain a better understanding of the causes and effects of the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone and to reduce its size, severity, and duration.

For more information on the HTF please see the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force website.

The HTF has prepared three Report on Point Source Progress in HTF States to address the extent of nitrogen and phosphorus monitoring and discharge limits for major municipal sewage treatment plants within the borders of the 12 states comprising the HTF. This report contains nitrogen and phosphorus loads from major sewage treatment plants. Many of the loads in the report have been derived from use EPA’s Water Pollutant Loading Tool, which accesses NPDES data from the EPA's Integrated Compliance Information System (ICIS). Some of the data the for major municipal sewage treatment plants in Iowa is inaccurate in EPA's ICIS database. The department is currently addressing the issues causing the inaccuracies in ICIS. However, due to the inaccuracies, the 2019 HTF Point Source Progress Report includes loads for several facilities based on raw data from the Iowa DNR.

Use the following link to view the Report on Point Source Progress in Hypoxia Task Force States.

The Iowa DNR raw nitrogen and phosphorus data for municipal majors that is used in the 2019 HTF Point Source Progress Report is provided below. This data is from the discharge monitoring reports submitted to Iowa DNR and uploaded to the DNR's database. Please note, the spreadsheets below are only a subset of the major municipal facilities in Iowa, as the nutrient data in EPA's ICIS database is accurate for many of Iowa's major municipal facilities. The abbreviation "NDD" in the spreadsheets stands for "Nutrient Daily Data".

2019 HTF Point Source Progress Report Data