Environmental Groups Call For Strengthened IA Drinking Water Quality Standards
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on Monday, October 20, 2025
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Council News
Des Moines—The Iowa Environmental Council (IEC), the Environmental Law & Policy Center (ELPC), and Food & Water Watch, along with six other conservation and environmental organizations, have submitted comments to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) on the triennial review of state water quality standards. The DNR is required to accept public input on a range of important issues related to water quality as part of the Clean Water Act. Public comments will be reviewed by the state after October 20.
In their comments, the groups advocated for the DNR to tighten nitrate standards and add five types of water quality criteria over the next three years:
- EPA’s recommended human health criteria
- Lake numeric nutrient criteria
- River numeric nutrient criteria
- Microcystin criteria for recreation and drinking water
- PFAS criteria for human health
The groups chose these criteria due to longstanding concerns from Iowans about the potential relationship between Iowa’s high cancer rates and cancer-causing chemicals, as well as the restrictions on water use tied with pollution, largely linked to industrial agriculture. Iowa’s current safety threshold for nitrates is 10mg/L; new evidence suggests that nitrate exposure may be toxic even at lower levels.
The DNR also requested comments as part of its September public hearings on protections against degradation, tribal reserved water rights, and public use analyses. Comments from the groups reference responsibilities and commitments made by the DNR to protect Iowa’s water quality, including the Nutrient Reduction Strategy (NRS).
Michael Schmidt, General Counsel with IEC, said: “We need DNR to adopt these standards as soon as possible to protect the health and safety of Iowans. With implementation and enforcement, these standards will advance the fundamental goal of the Clean Water Act to clean up waters across the state.”
Josh Mandelbaum, Senior Attorney with ELPC: “Iowans have waited on adoption of protective standards for years. It’s beyond time for Iowa DNR to address nitrate and other toxic pollution in our rivers, streams, and lakes.”
Food & Water Watch Staff Attorney Dani Replogle said: “Nitrates are dangerous chemicals — they don’t belong in our water. No one should have to wonder whether the water they drink will give them cancer or whether their day at the lake is going to make them sick. Iowa DNR must lead the nation in safeguarding clean drinking water from industrial agriculture pollution by strengthening water quality standards.”
The deadline for the public to submit written comments on the triennial review of water quality standards is 4:30 p.m. on October 20, 2025.