The Des Moines area water system could double its nitrate removal capacity within three years, under a Republican proposal unveiled at the Statehouse on Friday.
The funding package would send $25 million in one-time funds to Central Iowa Water Works. The proposal also sets aside nearly $4 million annually for cover crops, wetlands and watershed conservation around the Des Moines metro.
Gov. Kim Reynolds said the proposal changes up Iowa’s water quality funding formula that was put in place in 2018.
“We took a look at the data, what's working, what's not working, how can we reallocate those funds and maybe even add some additional funds to programs where we're really seeing some significant progress?” Reynolds said.
The environmental nonprofit Food & Water Action criticized the package for not addressing the root causes of water pollution. They called the proposal “too little, too late.”
The funding package would also send an additional half a million dollars annually to the DNR for water quality monitoring. That’s separate from a system run by the University of Iowa.
Rep. Elinor Levin, D-Iowa City, criticized the proposal for not prioritizing the UI program. She said using the DNR's system is less efficient and could be more costly.
“We need adequate and ample water quality monitoring that is continuous,” Levin said. “The most efficient way to do that is to give our state entities the resources that they've told us they need."
The proposal would be integrated into the state’s agriculture and infrastructure budget bills.