West Des Moines, IA Environmental Rules: Erosion Control (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing ordinance
- COSESCO, City Code ch. 8-6
- State permit required
- IDNR NPDES general permit no. 2
- Site requirement
- Stabilized construction entrance
- Tracked soil
- Must be removed by end of each day
- Enforcement path
- Municipal infraction or termination order
Summary
In the City of West Des Moines, construction sites are regulated under the Construction Site Erosion and Sediment Control Ordinance (COSESCO), City Code chapter 8-6. Builders must use a stabilized construction entrance, keep tracked soil off public streets daily, and comply with the city's NPDES MS4 stormwater permit through Development Services enforcement.
C. In conjunction with the City's MS4 permit requirements, the City will perform periodic monitoring and primary enforcement of the program through this construction site erosion and sediment control ordinance (COSESCO). ... D. All construction sites shall be furnished with a stabilized construction site entrance to handle the type and frequency of the traffic entering and exiting the site or make use of some other method of ingress/egress designed to prevent off site tracking. Any soils tracked off site shall be cleaned and/or removed by the applicant at the end of each day or before sediments enter the public storm sewer or waters of the State. Any soils entering public storm sewer or waters of the State will be considered a violation of this chapter.
Full Breakdown
The COSESCO ordinance ties West Des Moines' local enforcement to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources' NPDES general permit no. 2, which the city administers under its own Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit on file with the City Clerk. Every applicant undertaking construction activity remains fully responsible for a State NPDES general permit no. 2 and for a stormwater pollution prevention plan (SWPPP) showing Best Management Practice controls before the City will issue a building permit. Section 8-6-2 requires every construction site to have a stabilized entrance sized to the volume of traffic using it, or another method that prevents soil from tracking off site.
Any soil tracked off site must be cleaned up by the end of each day, and any soil that reaches the public storm sewer or waters of the state is treated as a chapter violation regardless of intent. The City funds its own periodic site monitoring and enforcement entirely through fees charged to the property owners covered by the program rather than State or Federal grants, and it may visit sites at the minimum frequency set by its MS4 permit plus any time a complaint is received. Fees for quarterly site visits are set by City Council resolution and are due before work proceeds.
Violations & Fines
A violation may be pursued as civil legal action, including injunctive relief, or as a Municipal infraction under Iowa Code section 364.22 pursuant to City Code section 1-4-1, or through administrative abatement under section 4-4-5. The Enforcement Officer may instead issue an order to terminate further site activity for failure to implement or maintain required Best Management Practices; work cannot resume until the applicant certifies under oath, with photographs, that the deficiency is corrected. Appeals of a civil action follow the Iowa Rules of Civil Procedure; appeals of a Municipal infraction follow Iowa Code section 364.22(10).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a state permit before construction in West Des Moines?
What happens if soil tracks onto the street from my job site?
Can the City stop work on my site for erosion violations?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in West Des Moines
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