Report: Voluntary clean water efforts have failed in Iowa
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A new report from the Harkin Institute calls for sweeping changes to Iowa's water policies.
Why it matters: Longtime voluntary efforts to curb excessive nitrates, harmful algal blooms and waterborne pathogens have failed the state, according to the report.
Driving the news: The report arrives just before the DSM-based nonpartisan research institute hosts a free, daylong public symposium on Wednesday focused on cancer prevention.
- Some of its speakers will discuss the connection between water pollution and cancer rates in Iowa.
State of play: The new report was written by John Norris, a senior fellow at the institute and former Polk County administrator who led last year's Polk County water quality report.
- The earlier Polk County report found high nitrate levels in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, which supply drinking water to over 600,000 Iowans.
Among the recommended reforms in the new report:
- A statewide water monitoring system focused on public health
- Stronger regulation of fertilizer application and manure management
- Funding reforms to shift costs from drinking water customers to polluters
The other side: Gov. Kim Reynolds and other officials have argued that Iowa should focus on voluntary conservation efforts and supporting farmers rather than implementing prescriptive rules.
- Farmers are working to implement conservation practices because they know everyone benefits, she said after Polk County's report was released last year.
What's next: Registration for Wednesday's symposium is now open, with virtual sessions running from 9am to 4:30pm.
- Axios reporter Jason Clayworth will moderate a panel of national reporters on the connections between drinking water and cancer in Iowa.