County Eligibility:
Any county in Iowa may participate in the Onsite Wastewater Systems Assistance Program (OSWAP) provided that it has an environmental health program that meets the minimum requirements for county eligibility in the loan program. The minimum requirements for county eligibility are listed in subrule 93.4(2) of 567 Iowa Administrative Code Chapter 93, and they are summarized in a following section (see "County Requirements").
County Approval of the Onsite System:
Homeowners applying for an OSWAP loan must obtain a county permit for the proposed onsite system before applying for a loan from a participating lender. When approving the onsite system plan, the county sanitarian or environmental health officer will complete and sign the top portion (top two-thirds) of the OSWAP Approval Form (see "OSWAP Approval Form"), keep a copy of it in the office, and instruct the homeowner to provide the original to the lender as evidence of county approval of the onsite system plan. After making the final inspection of the onsite system at the time of installation, the sanitarian will complete and sign the bottom portion of the OSWAP Approval Form, keep a copy of it in the office, and instruct the homeowner to provide the original to the lender as evidence of county approval of the onsite system's installation.
Each county participating in OSWAP will oversee an onsite system management plan for each system financed through this program. Each county's onsite system management plan is based upon information provided to the DNR in the "County Response Form". The county sanitarian will provide a brief description of the system management plan on the top portion of the OSWAP Approval Form.
For more information on county eligibility for this program, contact Dan Olson, DNR Wastewater Operations (NPDES) Section, phone: (515) 725-0346, email:
daniel.olson@dnr.state.ia.us.
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