Iowans flooded a national water quality testing program in 2025, as public concerns regarding high nitrate levels peaked in the state.

State of play: The Izaak Walton League of America's (IWLA) citizen nitrate watch program experienced a "record-shattering" number of kit requests last year, driven by high demand from Iowans, says Heather Wilson of IWLA.

• 2,223 kits were sent out nationwide, and over half of them went to Iowans, according to a recently released annual report by the environmental nonprofit. Last year, 1,060 kits were requested.
• Results sent in by volunteer participants showed nitrate readings were higher than average for the majority of 2025, per Wilson.

How it works: The league's Nitrate Watch program provides free test kits that measure nitrate levels in surface waters, such as rivers, lakes and streams, as well as drinking water.

• People who receive a kit are asked to send their results back to Izaak Walton, which helps record the nitrate levels of different water sources around the state.

The results: IWLA collected more than 4,000 readings from Iowa in 2025, including its citizen nitrate watch program, trained volunteer submissions and regular tests from agencies like Polk County Conservation.

• While the EPA's maximum nitrate allowance for drinking water is 10 mg/L, studies have shown that even 3 mg/L can contribute to health problems.
• Wilson said the number of high readings exceeding 5 mg/L in Iowa was higher than in past years.
• For example: Nitrate readings for source water near Yellow Banks Park reached 10 mg/L five times in 2025. In 2024, it only hit 10 mg/L once, and none in 2023.

By the numbers: Out of the 4,000 statewide readings in 2025, 40% of those were within 0–3 mg/L, and 18% were at 10 mg/L or above.

• For drinking water specifically, 52% were 0–3 mg/L and 5% were at 10 mg/L or above.
• The majority of the readings came from surface waters like the Raccoon and Des Moines rivers, which supply drinking water to much of central Iowa.

What's next: While nitrate levels usually go down in the winter, Central Iowa Water Works turned on its filtering system in January due to high levels, which is a rare occurrence.

How to request a kit: Though nitrate levels are lower in the winter, IWLA appreciates getting year-round results, Wilson says.

• Residents can request a free kit here.

Kwik Star plans to build a new convenience store at Westown Parkway and Valley West Drive at the former Iowa Realty site, according to West Des Moines city officials.

State of play: The company has proposed demolishing the existing building and constructing a 9,100-square-foot convenience store with eight gas pumps at the northwest corner of the intersection.

• No specific timeline is set yet. City staff are still reviewing Kwik Star's site plan application

The big picture: The project continues West Des Moines' yearslong revitalization of its Valley West corridor, an aging commercial area surrounding Valley West Mall.

• The project is eligible to receive financial assistance on property taxes, though nothing has been negotiated.

💊 Proposed legislation in Iowa would place new restrictions on the use of abortion pills statewide. (WHO-Radio)

🔻 Wells Fargo announced it will lay off 49 more employees from its West Des Moines campus off South Jordan Creek Parkway. (KCCI)

🇵🇪 Panka on Ingersoll Avenue will close in April. The Peruvian restaurant is the latest in a string of closures across the metro in recent months. (WOI-TV)

⚡️ A downtown DSM power outage early Sunday was caused by a person who climbed an electrical substation and was damaging equipment before he was badly burned. (WHO-13)

This week's reader question: Who is the local celebrity or Iowa politician you'd most want to share Valentine's Day with?

• Submit your favorite here.

🥶 Flashback: Here's what you told us were the best spots to escape the winter blues:

• Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden: "It's tropical and colorful and the water sounds inside the dome are reminders of life outside of winter." — Julia McGuire, WDM
• The Rook Room: "What's not to love about a spot that has over 700 board games? It's warm, cozy, welcoming, and has a great food & drink menu." —Morgan Dezenski Miller, Waukee
• Gray's Lake: "The exercise, the skyline and the sun, even on a sub-zero day, reminds me how great Des Moines is." — Chuck Snyder, DSM

We launched Axios Des Moines five years ago, and we're so thankful to have been a part of your daily lives ever since.

How it started: Axios was mostly known back then for its national political reporting, but in 2021 our company's founders wanted to expand its smart brevity newsletter concept into local markets and see how they would perform.

• Tampa Bay, Twin Cities, Denver and mid-size Des Moines were selected for the launch, due to our engaged news audience. The experiment is now a full-fledged daily commitment to hyperlocal journalism!

The big picture: From reading news of consequence to guessing where Jason's at, thank you for letting us be a part of your inbox every day.

• Here's to five more years of bringing you news, levity, humor and community.