Required Septic Maintenance & Water Samples. The IOWA DNR (chapter 69 Code), requires onsite waste treatment systems to have regular maintenance by a licensed septic maintenance provider. Your local County Health Department enforces and regulates the states codes. Your county may have more stringent requires but every county is required to enforce the minimum standards of the IADNR chapter 69 code.

The Water Samples must be taken by a person that has the proper training and certification by the state. Your local county heath department does the train and certification for the State. There are three test, CBOD (Carbonaceous BioChemical Oxygen Demand) which the results need to be 25 ml or less; TSS (Total Suspended Solids) needs to be less then 25 ml; and  E-COLI needs to  be less then 235 ml not all system require E-Coli if your discharging water can flow to a state water way a E-Coli test is required. Ask your maintenance provider what sample are needed or county heath department.

Air Treatment Units (ATU) manufacturers are, CLEARSTREAM, MULTI-FLO, WHITE WATER, NYATIC, AQUA-SAFE, NORWECO, ect. All require 2 maintenance visits per year, and if they surface discharge they require 2 water samples one in the spring and one in the fall. If they discharge into subsurface treatment, like lateral field of irrigation system, and have no surface discharging they do not require the water sample but still require the bi-annual maintenance.

Peat Moss Filter Systems manufacturers are, ECO PURE, ECO FLO, PURA FLO, etc. All require at lest 1 maintenance visit per year and if surface discharging require water samples too. Some Iowa counties like DALLAS Co., WARREN Co., BOONE Co., and a few more, require 2 maintenance visits and 2 water samples per year one in the spring and one in the fall. If they discharge into subsurface treatment, like lateral field of irrigation system, and have no surface discharging they do not require the water sample but still require the maintenance.

Sand Filter septic systems are custom constructed by a septic installer. The waste water filters down through 3ft to 4ft of rock and coarse sand at the bottom is water collection piping system that directs the flow to a surface discharge. The State requires maintenance and water sample on those system that the discharging water can flow to a state water way. Ask your maintenance provider are or county heath department.  But some Counties like Dallas Co. and Warren Co. require all surfacing discharging sand filter to be maintenance and have water samples.

AT-Grade / Mounds / Pressurized Laterals / Lift Pumps to D-Box these systems use electric lift pumps to pressurize or pump the waste water to a higher elevation and sometimes both. These system normal have high voltage electric pumps and control system that will need repaired at times in the life of the septic system. Counties like Dallas Co., IA require annual maintenance visits from a certified maintenance provider, to maintenance and inspect the system. No water sample are required for subsurface ground absorption system. Sometimes lift pumps are used to pump up to a higher elevation sand filter, peat moss filter or even ATU, under those type follow the State and County requirement for those systems.