Septic Tank Companies in Iowa
131 septic service companies across 98 cities — approximately 22% of Iowa homes use septic systems
Iowa's onsite wastewater systems are regulated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR) under Chapter 69 of the Iowa Administrative Code (Private Sewage Disposal Facilities), with enforcement carried out by county boards of health and their sanitarians. Iowa's deep, fertile prairie soils — primarily silty clay loams deposited by glaciers and wind-blown loess — provide moderate to poor drainage for septic systems across much of the state. The state's harsh winters, with frost depths reaching 40 to 50 inches in northern counties like Winneshiek, Cerro Gordo, and Emmet, require systems to be installed deep enough to avoid freeze damage while still maintaining adequate separation from seasonally high groundwater.