Polk County leader hopeful for partnership with Linn, Johnson County for water quality funding
Polk County Board Chair Matt McCoy says accurate water quality data isn't just important; it's essential.
That's why Polk County pledged to allocate $200,000 to Iowa's Water Quality Information System (IWQIS) Tuesday morning.
"To interrupt that data would be detrimental to the center for the research and for the science," McCoy said.
IWQIS lost a large amount of funding in 2023 when Gov. Kim Reynolds signed a law diverting $500,000 from the system. Since then, it's survived on grassroots funding that's set to expire next year. Polk County's contribution isn't coming from the county's general fund, however.
$90,000 is coming from leftover funding from the Central Iowa Source Water Resource Assessment from earlier this year. The other $110,000 comes from leftover American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funding. While this covers a significant portion of the $500,000 it takes to keep all 80 water monitors running, it's not a permanent solution.
"Next year, it'll be harder to maintain," McCoy said. "But at least we know that it's a budget item now."
McCoy went on to say he hopes other large counties, like Linn and Johnson County, will help keep the system running with their own contributions. He also hopes to work with lawmakers to restore the diverted funding.
"Hopefully, in the effort to balance the state budget and work with our partners, they'll see the value in this and work together," he said.
In an email to vlog, Johnson County Supervisor Jon Green told vlog that IIHR Hydroscience and Engineering, the organization behind the water quality monitor, will present to the board next month. Though due to a "difficult budget situation," it's unclear whether Johnson County will be able to contribute a significant amount of funding.
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