Iowa Environmental Commission Proposes Multiple Changes to the State’s Water Quality Regulations
On July 19, 2017 the Iowa Environmental Commission proposed multiple changes, mostly minor, to the state’s Water Quality regulations found in Chapter 61 “Water Quality Standards,” and Chapter 62 “Effluent and Pretreatment Standards: Other Effluent Limitations or Prohibitions” of the Iowa Administrative Code.
The proposed changes to Chapter 61 include the following: updating the bacteria water quality criteria table in 61.3(3)”a”(1), updating the name of the document referenced in the rules from “Supporting Document for Iowa Water Quality Management Plans, Chapter IV, July 1976, as revised on November 11, 2009” to “Iowa Wasteload Allocation (WLA) Procedure,” and multiple changes and updates to the, now, Iowa WLA Procedure document.
The proposed changes to the WLA Procedure document includes incorporation of new and updated methodologies to measure water quality such as measuring the presence and concentration of E. coli in wastewater discharges and in surface water, replacing the total residual chlorine default decay value in the mixing zone with site-specific decay measurements, and using updated Stream Low-Flow Values for United States Geological Survey (USGS) gaged sites and ungagged sites. The proposed changes to Chapter 62 specifically affect 62.8(2) and remove the replace “Supporting Document for Iowa Water Quality Management Plans,” with “Iowa Wasteload Allocation (WLA) Procedure.”
Written comments and suggestions for the proposal can be submitted to Ms. Dou, Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Section, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 502 East 9th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0034, faxed (515)725-8202, or emailed to Connie.Dou@dnr.iowa.gov. Comments and suggestions will be accepted until September 8, 2017. The commission will host three public hearings in early September, where the public can comment.
Source: Iowa Environmental Commission Proposes Multiple Changes to the State’s Water Quality Regulations, ARC3202C (2017).
