Iowa Waters

The process of cleaning up fuel and coal spilled into the Mississippi River following a train derailment is well underway, according to state officials. The incident happened when a BNSF train hit a river barge in southeast Iowa on Saturday.

Kate Payne, Janis Elliott, Steve Veysey and the hosts of the new podcast "We All Want Clean H20," join Ben Kieffer to talk about water issues in the state of Iowa and the path forward for improving water quality.

There are concerning levels of contamination in public water systems across Iowa, according to an environmental group that sets its own health standards. More than 700 hundred utilities in Iowa had levels of certain contaminants above health guidelines set by the Environmental Working Group, which are not legally enforceable.

Even as the Iowa Department of the Natural Resources begins testing for “forever chemicals” in more than 50 public water systems across the state, the agency currently has no plans to test private wells. An estimated 10 percent of Iowans get their water from private wells, which are largely unregulated.

Researchers have detected “forever chemicals” in a third of the Iowa streams they tested. The scientists say it’s significant that they found the toxic chemicals known as PFAS in remote and rural areas, away from sites known to have used them.

Iowa needs targeted investments to strengthen and expand its electrical grid, in order to prepare for extreme weather events brought on by climate change. That’s the recommendation from the latest Iowa Climate Statement, which was released Wednesday by a coalition of more than 200 researchers.

City officials say the funds will help speed up construction on the west side of the river, providing more protection sooner.

Iowans were advised against swimming at seven public beaches over the Fourth of July holiday weekend due to elevated E. coli levels and toxic algae blooms. Lake Darling State Park in Washington County is the only beach in the state so far this summer to have both advisories in place.

It could take thousands of years to meet some of Iowa’s nutrient reduction goals if conservation efforts continue at current rates. That’s according to a recent analysis of the state’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy by the Iowa Environmental Council.

A newly-published analysis has found that Iowa communities whose drinking water is contaminated with nitrate are more likely to be lower income. The study by the Environmental Working Group found that among the areas with the highest rates of nitrate pollution, 85 percent are considered lower income.