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ALL RIGHT JASON THANKS SO MUCH. WE’LL. POLK COUNTY LEADERS ANNOUNCED TODAY A NEW PLAN TO HELP FUND IOWA’S WATER QUALITY MONITORS TO MAKE SURE OUR DRINKING WATER IS SAFE. MANY OF THE RIVER MONITORS WILL GO OFFLINE NEXT SUMMER AFTER STATE LAWMAKERS CUT $500,000 IN FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM BACK IN 2023. ����vlog SENIOR REPORTER TODD MAGEL IS LIVE ALONG THE DES MOINES RIVER DOWNTOWN TO TELL US HOW THIS NEW FUNDING WILL HELP TODD. WELL, STACY AND BEN, THOSE MONITORS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY MEASURE THINGS LIKE NITRATE LEVELS, WHICH REACHED A RECORD HIGH LAST SUMMER. THEY ALSO KEEP AN EYE ON POTENTIAL FLOODING. CENTRAL IOWANS LEARNED HOW IMPORTANT WATER QUALITY IS LAST SUMMER. HIGH NITRATE LEVELS AFFECTED MORE THAN A HALF MILLION METRO WATER CUSTOMERS, WHO HAD TO CUT BACK ON WATER USE. PROBLEM IS, THE MONITORS USED TO DETECT NITRATES WERE SET TO RUN OUT OF FUNDING NEXT JUNE. THE IOWA LEGISLATURE REDUCED FUNDING FOR MONITORS IN 2023. NOW, POLK COUNTY LEADERS ARE STEPPING IN. I THINK WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION AS COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE ENSURING THAT THAT THE WATER THAT THAT THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE DRINKING IS PROTECTED. THERE ARE ABOUT 60 WATER MONITORS ACROSS CENTRAL IOWA, BUT THE DES MOINES WATER WORKS SAYS MOST OF THEM WOULD SHUT DOWN WITHOUT THAT CONTINUED FUNDING. POLK COUNTY LEADERS ARE KICKING IN $200,000 TO KEEP THE WATER SYSTEM MONITORS ONLINE. DURING A NEWS CONFERENCE TODAY, THEY SAY THE SAFETY OF OUR DRINKING WATER IS A PRIORITY. WE NEED TO KEEP MONITORING. WE NEED TO KEEP LOOKING AT THE DATA, KEEP USING THAT DATA TO SAY, WHERE CAN WE BE MOST EFFICIENT WITH OUR PROJECTS? HOW CAN WE, AS ONE COUNTY IN CENTRAL IOWA WITH A LOT OF WATER COMING TO US? HOW CAN WE HELP SOLVE THESE ISSUES? AND IT’S NOT JUST WATER QUALITY. COUNTY CONSERVATION EXPERTS SAY THE WATER MONITORS ALSO HELP TRACK POTENTIAL FLOODING. WHEN IT’S NOT FLOODING, YOU FORGET ABOUT IT REALLY QUICKLY, BUT OUR DATA LENDS ITSELF TO PREDICTING, AND TO BE ABLE TO REACT APPROPRIATELY WHEN THERE ARE FLOODING POTENTIALS TO MOVE PEOPLE OUT OF HARM’S WAY TO PROTECT PROPERTY, AND MAYBE EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, TO BUILD BETTER AS WE GO FORWARD. AND POLK COUNTY LEADERS SAY THEY’RE NOW WORKING WITH OTHER CITY GOVERNMENTS IN THE STATE OF IOWA TO TRY TO COME UP WITH MONEY TO MAKE SURE THESE MONITORS CONTINUE TO WORK. WE’RE LIVE IN DES MOINES. TO