Editorial: All Iowans need to work together to find solution to water issues
For the last two weeks, Des Moines' metro residents have been under a water restrictions order. High nitrate levels in our water supply are forcing our water treatment facilities to work at or near capacity to treat our water to clean those chemicals out. It's forced leaders to restrict water usage so we can keep our focus on creating clean an safe drinking water.
Those efforts are working for now. The recent three-year drought contributed to higher nitrate levels. Without regular rain to flush the nitrates out, they built up. Recent heavy rains are flushing them into our water supply all at once. But this problem isn't new. People on various sides of this issue have fought about it for years, including an unsuccessful attempt by Des Moines Water Works to sue three Iowa counties over the cost of removing agricultural nitrates from our drinking water. To date, the problem persists.
As a corn-producing state, we continue to walk this razor-thin line between ag production and clean water. Farmers use chemicals to produce their crops. Our water utilities invest in equipment to clean the nitrates out. We depend on our ag economy but it's currently coming at the expense of clean drinking water. We can continue to fight about it. We can demand mandates from the government. But the reality is, until all stakeholders come together to work on mutually beneficial solutions, we will continue to struggle. Central Iowa Water Works is committed to building better facilities and increased capacity. We need our ag leaders to provide solutions too. This could mean advanced forms of fertilizing that produce less runoff. The good news is, right up the interstate is one of the best agricultural universities in the country – with a host of great research facilities to help guide us.
Until all stakeholders agree to work together, we are going to struggle. The days of kicking the can down the road need to end. We need to work together to solve our water quality problems.