Septic system requirements in Palo Alto County, Iowa
The septic rules landplan.io applies in Palo Alto County, what a septic tank costs there, and the parcel data we hold.
Updated
Design a septic system for an address in Palo Alto County
Iowa's state rules apply in Palo Alto County: landplan.io has no county rules of its own here. State rules: Reviewed See Iowa's rules
Septic systems allowed in Palo Alto County
The system types landplan.io permits in Palo Alto County:
- Mounded Leaching System
- Spray Distribution System
- Low Pressure Pipe System
- Drip Distribution System
- Leaching Trench System
- Infiltrator Advanced Treatment Leachfield (ATL)
- Infiltrator Advanced Enviro-Septic® (AES)
- Discharging System
Septic tank size in Palo Alto County
The daily design flow of a home: 150 gal/day per bedroom, at least 240 gal/day. The septic tank is sized from that flow:
| Daily design flow | Minimum tank |
|---|---|
| up to 240 gal/day | 1,000 gallons |
| 240 to 360 gal/day | 1,500 gallons |
| 360 to 600 gal/day | 2,000 gallons |
| 600 to 720 gal/day | 2,500 gallons |
| 720 to 840 gal/day | 2,750 gallons |
| 840 to 920 gal/day | 3,000 gallons |
| 920 to 1,040 gal/day | 3,250 gallons |
Septic setbacks in Palo Alto County
| From | To | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Polygon | Existing Septic Component to be Abandoned | 5 ft |
These are the values the landplan.io design engine applies in Palo Alto County. Confirm a design with the Iowa health department or your county's before you build.
Parcel data in Palo Alto County
landplan.io has no parcel boundaries for Palo Alto County yet: you draw the lot on the aerial map, and soil and elevation load as anywhere else.
Septic companies, designers and jobs in Iowa
Where the rules come from
The regulations and documents landplan.io's Palo Alto County, Iowa rules are read from:
- Private Sewage Disposal Systems (Iowa Admin. Code r. 567 Chapter 69)
- Iowa DNR Onsite News - Chapter 69 Legislative Session Delay (guidance on which separation distances apply) (Iowa DNR Onsite News bulletin (GovDelivery IACIO 3f26912))
- Story County Ordinance No. 287 - Chapter 65, Private Sewage Disposal Systems (signed ordinance) (Story County, Iowa, Code of Ordinances ch. 65 (Ordinance No. 287))
- Iowa DNR copy of 567 IAC 60.2(2)"c" Table I - Wastewater Separation Distances (from ch. 60, effective 6/18/2025) (Iowa Admin. Code r. 567-60.2(2)"c", Table I (DNR copy))
- Chapter 60 - Scope of Title, Definitions, Forms, Rules of Practice (Table I: Wastewater Separation Distances, 567-60.2(2)"c") (Iowa Admin. Code r. 567-60)
Near Palo Alto County
- Emmet County
- Clay County
- Pocahontas County
- Kossuth County
- Dickinson County
- Humboldt County
- Buena Vista County
- Hancock County
- All of Iowa
Questions
What septic systems are allowed in Palo Alto County?
landplan.io designs by Iowa's state rules there and permits: Mounded Leaching System, Spray Distribution System, Low Pressure Pipe System, Drip Distribution System, Leaching Trench System, Infiltrator Advanced Treatment Leachfield (ATL), Infiltrator Advanced Enviro-Septic® (AES) and Discharging System.
What size septic tank do I need in Palo Alto County?
landplan.io sizes the septic tank in Palo Alto County from the daily design flow: up to 240 gal/day: 1,000 gallons; 240 to 360 gal/day: 1,500 gallons; 360 to 600 gal/day: 2,000 gallons; larger flows need larger tanks. A home's design flow is 150 gal/day per bedroom, at least 240 gal/day.
Does landplan.io have parcel data for Palo Alto County, Iowa?
Not yet: you draw the lot on the aerial map, and soil and elevation load as anywhere else.