drinking water

Iowa cities are receiving significant settlements from chemical companies to address "forever chemical" contamination in drinking water. But officials caution that the funds may not cover all associated costs, as long-term solutions remain uncertain.

Scientists discussed pollution, bacteria and other challenges plaguing central Iowa's rivers at an event in Des Moines Monday. The presenters contributed to a two-year assessment of the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, which includes recommendations at the local, regional and state level.

Nitrates, fecal bacteria, sediment and other pollutants in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers threaten safe drinking water for 20% of the state’s population. That's one of the findings from a sweeping study commissioned by Polk County supervisors.

The Des Moines area’s first-ever lawn watering ban helps Central Iowa Water Works keep up with nitrate removal to provide safe drinking water to 600,000 people. Over the next decade, CIWW aims to increase its treatment capacity by 25%.

Nitrate levels are still at dangerous levels in Des Moines’ rivers. To keep the area’s sources for drinking water from exceeding EPA standards, Central Iowa Water Works is continuing its ban on lawn watering, possibly for weeks.

What would happen if fluoride were removed from drinking water? Scientists weigh in.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said nitrate and nitrite levels in six sections of the Cedar, Des Moines, Iowa, Raccoon and South Skunk rivers exceed safe drinking water standards and need to be curtailed.

A new DNR program helps monitor for PFAs in water supplies, an update on the Cedar Rapids Cargill strike and discussing the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

There’s not a shortage of water, but as demand increases into the summer, it will be harder to provide tap water below the legal limit for nitrate.

A cancer cluster in Illinois was connected to a nearby chemical plant that emitted carcinogenic ethylene, a chemical targeted by new Environmental Protection Agency guidelines.