Des Moines, IA — This week, amidst mounting calls for action to address Iowa’s industrial agriculture-linked water and cancer crises, Senator Art Staed and Representative Ken Croken introduced a suite of clean water legislation, endorsed by Food & Water Watch. Additional bills to enact a moratorium on factory farm construction in vulnerable groundwater areas, including Northeast Iowa’s karst region; and to prohibit land application of manure on saturated, snow-covered and frozen ground, when soil cannot absorb the waste, are expected.

Taken collectively, the bills would significantly reduce the toxic nitrate contamination in Iowa waterways. The bills include:

• SF 2269 to restore funding for statewide water quality monitoring. Donahue, Wahls, Weiner, Bisignano, Zimmer and Bennett co-sponsor the legislation. House Democrats’ Iowa Healthy Waters Act, announced last month, will also restore funding for the system.
  
• The Clean Water for Iowa Act (SF 2265) to require factory farm water pollution monitoring at more than 4,000 facilities currently operating in the state without oversight. Quirmbach co-sponsors the legislation.
  
• SF 2264 to create a publicly available digital mapping tool for manure management and nutrient management plans. Lack of oversight has left regulators and the public without information on where factory farms spread their waste.
  
• SF 2258 to close the factory farm LLC loophole. Factory farm owners exploit this loophole to evade pollution regulation by registering the same operation as multiple small facilities, rather than as a single large one that would trigger environmental review.
  
• SF 2260 to return control over the siting and construction of large factory farms to the county where the operation proposes to operate. Winckler, Quirmbach, Dotzler, Bisignano, Blake, Petersen and Bennett co-sponsor the legislation.

“All Iowans deserve access to clean water. If there’s a silver lining to our current predicament, it’s that water quality is finally top of mind for more Iowans than it has been in years. The question for lawmakers in 2026 is whether they’re willing to meet the moment. We can’t keep kicking the can down the road,” said Senator Art Staed. “This issue isn’t going away. Farmers want to be good stewards, and voluntary efforts have helped, but the state must do more. I’ve introduced a slate of commonsense clean water regulations for Iowa. Taken collectively, these bills will finally address some of the pollution poisoning our communities.

Staed continued: “These are practical steps we can take: restore water quality sensors, create a public nutrient-mapping tool, and require nutrient management plans that limit nitrogen application. As more Iowans speak up, I’m hopeful their voices can finally lead to real action and clean water for every corner of our state.”

“Clean water is a top priority for Iowans who are concerned about rising cancer rates and the effects of nitrates in drinking water on their health. I’m proud to support these efforts to regulate agricultural pollution, get the data that researchers need to solve our cancer crisis, and focus on a healthy future for Iowans,” said Representative Ken Croken.

The bills further key goals from Food & Water Watch’s Iowa Blueprint for Clean Water, targeting industrial agriculture pollution to reduce toxic cancer-linked nitrate contamination in drinking water. Iowa has the nation’s highest waterway nitrate concentrations; the second-highest cancer rate; and is one of only two states with rising cancer rates.

Food & Water Watch Senior Iowa Organizer Jennifer Breon said:

“Factory farm pollution is at the heart of Iowa’s urgent water crisis. We applaud our legislators for introducing commonsense policies that meet the moment. Commonsense policies, many of which are in place in our neighboring states, are all that stand between Iowans and clean, healthy water. The Iowa legislature must pass these clean water bills and restore funding for statewide water quality monitoring.”