NPDES Stormwater Permit Application Options and Fees
- ATTENTION -
All stormwater general permit applications (NOIs) must be accompanied by the following fees:
1 year - $175.00 3 years - $350.00 4 years - $525.00 5 years - $700.00
Stormwater General Permit applications (NOIs) may be submitted online at:
Online Stormwater General Permit Application
Options Available When Applying for a Stormwater NPDES Permit
There are two options available when applying for an NPDES permit for a "stormwater discharge associated with industrial activity"; applying for coverage under an individual permit, or applying for coverage under a general stormwater permit.
Please note, any discharge from a facility or construction site that may temporarily degrade an Outstanding National Resource Water or Outstanding State Resource Water is required to be permitted by an individual NPDES permit, as stipulated in 567 Chapter 64 of the Iowa Administrative Code and in the Iowa Antidegradation Implementation Procedure. General permit coverage is not available for these discharges. The list of these waters is located in Appendix B of the Antidegradation Implementation Procedure.
Applying for Coverage Under an Individual NPDES Permit:
An individual NPDES permit is only applicable to one discharger and is issued for a specific discharge. Only one individual permit will be issued to a facility. If a discharger has an existing individual NPDES permit, that permit will be modified to include its stormwater outfalls.
All stormwater dischargers are eligible to apply for an individual NPDES permit. Applicants applying for an individual permit must complete Iowa DNR Industrial Application Form 1, Form 2F, and Form 5. Additional forms may be required if stormwater is mixed with non-process waste water (Form 2); process waste water from existing sources (Form 3); or process waste water from new sources (Form 4). These forms are available on the NPDES Application Forms page.
If a discharge has a federal effluent limit, only a five year individual permit can be issued. The five year permit fee for an individual stormwater NPDES permit is $1250.00.
Applying for Coverage under a General Permit:
A stormwater discharger may apply for coverage under a general permit by submitting a Notice of Intent (NOI) for coverage. General permits are NPDES permits that contain the terms and conditions of a permit for a certain class of facilities. General permits are not specific to any one discharger; rather, the general permit identifies which dischargers may be eligible for coverage under the general permit.
The Iowa DNR has adopted three general permits for stormwater, as follows:
- General Permit No. 1 - Stormwater Discharge Associated With Industrial Activity (Excludes Construction)
- General Permit No. 2 - Stormwater Associated With Industrial Activity For Construction Activities (Land Disturbing 1 Acre Or More)
- General Permit No. 3 - Stormwater Discharge Associated With Industrial Activity From Asphalt Plants, Concrete Batch Plants, Rock Crushing Plants, And Construction Sand And Gravel Facilities
The general permits can be viewed on the Permits, Guidance & Application Forms page.
The stormwater general permits are applicable to discharges composed of only stormwater. Mixtures of stormwater and non-stormwater where the non-stormwater would require an individual NPDES permit are not covered by Iowa's stormwater general permits (refer to the specific general permit for additional details). In addition, discharges which have a federal effluent limit may not be covered by a stormwater general permit.
Iowa law requires that general permits be adopted by rule. This requirement is more stringent than the routine individual NPDES permit issuance requirements. Because of Iowa's statutory requirement, the three stormwater general permits have been adopted as administrative rules under 567 - Chapters 60 and 64 of the Iowa Administrative Code. The stormwater general permits can only be modified through the rulemaking process.
Dischargers who apply for coverage under a general permit must complete and submit a Notice of Intent (NOI) to the Iowa DNR. A complete NOI includes the following information:
- Form 1415,
- Proof of public notification, and
- General permit fee.
To submit an NOI online, use the Online Stormwater General Permit Application.
Paper NOI forms and guidance are also available on the Permits, Guidance & Application Forms page.
Fee Options for General Stormwater NPDES Permits
The following fee options are available for coverage under an NPDES stormwater General Permit:
- One year - $175.00
- Three years - $350.00
- Four years - $525.00
- Five years - $700.00
When a stormwater discharger submits a complete NOI and fee to the Iowa DNR, the discharger is agreeing to meet the terms and conditions of the general permit.