Summary of Iowa's Water Reuse Guideline or Regulation for Landscaping

This page is part of the EPA’s REUSExplorer tool, which summarizes the different state level regulations or guidelines for water reuse for a variety of sources and end-uses.
The source water for this summary is Treated Municipal Wastewater.

On this page:

• Technical basis
• Water reuse for landscaping approved for use in Iowa
• Water reuse treatment category for landscaping
• Additional context and definitions
• Water reuse for landscaping specifications (table)
• Upcoming state law or policy
• References
• Disclaimer

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This page is a summary of the state’s water reuse law or policy and is provided for informational purposes only. Please always refer to the state for the most accurate and updated information. 

In Iowa, water reuse for landscaping water reuse for landscapingThe use of recycled water on land to assist in the irrigation of vegetation in residential and non-residential areas. Includes impoundments to store water for irrigation , ornamental vegetation, parks, school yards, sporting facilities (including golf courses), private gardens, roadsides and greenbelts, and cemeteries. Excludes irrigation of areas used for agriculture, commercial reuse applications, or any centralized non-potable reuse. includes irrigation of golf courses. The source of water (treated municipal wastewater) treated municipal wastewater Treated wastewater effluent discharged from a centralized wastewater treatment plant of any size. Other terms referring to this source of water include domestic wastewater, treated wastewater effluent, reclaimed water, and treated sewage. is specified by the state as treated final effluent. This write-up uses state terms when discussing sources or uses of water that may differ from the Regulations and End-Use Specifications Explorer's (REUSExplorer's) terms.

Technical basis

Iowa approves the reuse of treated final effluent for landscaping irrigation, including irrigation of golf courses (Iowa Admin. Code r. 567-62). Public access is restricted where spraying of treated final effluent is being conducted. All applicable provisions of the Clean Water Act (CWA) (33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.), including its implementing regulations, must be met. Treatment requirements and performance standards are applied for the removal of chemicals and other relevant indicators for water reuse for landscaping and are summarized in the table below. The technical basis for developing the specifications and/or removals of chemicals and other relevant indicators is not explicitly specified. 

Water reuse for landscaping approved for use in Iowa

Iowa Admin. Code r. 567-62 defines the following approved water reuse for landscaping:

• Irrigation of golf courses 

Water reuse treatment category for landscaping

The treatment requirements for the reuse of treated final effluent are briefly summarized below (Iowa Admin. Code r. 567-62):

• The treated final effluent used for golf course irrigation must undergo secondary treatment and disinfection and meet one of the following conditions: 
  • A minimum total residual chlorine level of 0.5 mg/L must be maintained at a minimum of 15 minutes contact time of chlorine to wastewater prior to the irrigation of the golf course with treatment plant effluent; or
  • Disinfected effluent shall be held in a retention pond with a detention time of at least 20 days prior to reuse as irrigation on a golf course. Effluent should be disinfected using any common treatment technology and either an existing pond or a pond constructed specifically for effluent retention may be used.

Additional context and definitions

Iowa requires that golf courses utilizing treated final effluent should take the following actions and meet all of the conditions below (Iowa Admin. Code r. 567-62): 

• Clearly state on all scorecards that treated final effluent is used for irrigation of the golf course and oral contact with golf balls and tees should be avoided; 
• Post signs that warn against consumption of water at all water hazards; 
• Color code, label or tag all piping and sprinklers associated with the distribution or transmission of the treated final effluent to clearly warn against the consumptive use of the contents; and 
• Restrict the access of the public to any area of the golf course where spraying is being conducted. 

Water reuse for landscaping specifications

Summary of Iowa's Water Reuse for Landscaping Specifications

Source= Iowa Admin. Code r. 567-62; Iowa DNR (1979)

* Information about sampling and monitoring requirements such as frequency, site and quantification methods not specifically listed in the table was not explicitly specified in the State-specific regulations.

Upcoming state law or policy

No upcoming regulations pertaining to water reuse for landscaping were found for Iowa.

References

Clean Water Act, 33 U.S.C. §§ 1251 et seq.

Effluent and Pretreatment Standards: Other Effluent Limitations or Prohibitions, Iowa Admin. Code r. 567-62.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). 1979. Chapter 21: Land Application of Wastewater. Iowa Wastewater Facilities Design Standards.

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Disclaimers

Please contact us at waterreuse@epa.gov if the information on this page needs updating or if this state is updating or planning to update its laws and policies and we have not included that information on the news page.