Des Moines, IA — The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is holding the first of two public hearings today, as part of a triannual review of state water quality standards required under the Clean Water Act.

Iowa drinking water is routinely contaminated with toxic nitrates in excess of the federal safety threshold of 10mg/L. Drinking nitrate contaminated water is linked to a host of negative health outcomes including birth defects and cancers; new evidence suggests that nitrate exposure may be toxic even at lower levels.

DNR’s review process is also likely to address other pollutants of concern including phosphorus and E. coli that contribute to beach closures; and carcinogenic forever chemicals known as PFAS. Industrial agriculture is a major source of these and other contaminants. 

Food & Water Watch Staff Attorney Dani Replogle issued the following statement:

“Iowa’s water crisis should be a call to action. The data is clearer than ever that Iowa is facing persistent, toxic nitrate contamination that endangers thousands of residents — and industrial agriculture is responsible. No one should have to wonder whether the water they drink will give them cancer. Iowa DNR has the opportunity to lead the nation in safeguarding clean drinking water from industrial agriculture pollution by strengthening the state’s safety standard for nitrates in drinking water sources. The time for clean, safe water in Iowa is now.”

This summer, nitrate levels in the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers, Central Iowa’s urban drinking water supplies, were in excess of the federal nitrate safety threshold for 33 days. A recent report commissioned by Polk County found that 80% of the rivers’ nitrates stem from industrial agriculture, including factory farms. Northeast Iowa’s sensitive driftless area has experienced decades of factory farm nitrate exposure above 10mg/L; 13 groups have petitioned EPA for emergency action.

Meanwhile, federal agencies are turning their back on Iowa. The EPA has rescinded its impaired waters designation for Iowa’s major urban drinking water sources, including segments of the Cedar, Des Moines, Iowa, Raccoon, and South Skunk rivers, despite finding that each was acutely contaminated with levels of toxic nitrates in excess of federal safety thresholds.