Sampling
This type of sample is a single "snapshot" of wastewater collected at a specific time and location.
Grab Sample
This is the minimum freeboard requirement in a lagoon.
2 Feet
This is the date that the DMR is due.
15th of the following month
The DNR requires this "Operator-In-Charge" to hold a specific level of these to legally run a plant.
Certification
This is the time period you have to report a bypass
24 hours
This is when pH should be tested.
Immediately upon collection
This "scummy" substance is the byproduct of the wastewater treatment process and is often used as fertilizer.
Biosolids or sludge
According to Iowa law, all monitoring records, including strip charts and calibration records, must be retained for at least this many years.
3 years
1 CEU
This landmark 1972 federal act gives the DNR the authority to regulate water quality standards.
The Clean Water Act
This item is required in a composite sampler cooler
Thermometer
It’s the gas—mostly methane—produced during anaerobic digestion that can be used for energy.
Biogas
Besides "DMR," Iowa DNR forms are also frequently referred to by this 3-letter acronym, especially when submitted monthly.
MOR (monthly operation report)
The date CEUs are required to be obtained
March 31st of odd years
If a facility exceeds its permit limits, the DNR may issue this formal enforcement document.
Notice of Violation (NOV)
How often should sampler tubing be changed
When dirty
This chemical formula represents the form of nitrogen most toxic to fish, which operators must convert through nitrification.
NH3 - Ammonia
This is the specific chapter of the Iowa Administrative Code (IAC) that outlines the monitoring, analytical, and reporting requirements for wastewater disposal systems.
Chapter 63
To qualify for this specific grade, an operator must have 4 years of experience and at least 2 years of post-high school education (or 90 CEUs).
Grade III
This is the specific term for water that enters the sewer system through cracks in pipes or manhole covers during rain events.
Inflow & Infiltration (I&I)
This is the DNR-mandated report that facilities must submit monthly to show they are meeting their permit limits.
Discharge Monitoring Report (DMR)
Significant industrial users require one of these.
Treatment agreement (TA)
This is the federal program, administered by the DNR in Iowa, that requires facilities to obtain a permit before discharging to "Waters of the U.S."
NPDES (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System)
This is the maximum number of Grade 3/4 systems an operator in charge can be in charge of.
1
This document is a legally enforceable agreement voluntarily entered into by the DNR and a facility to settle an administrative order.
Consent Order