Iowa's $100M Plan to Fight Nitrate Pollution in Drinking Water

Iowa is facing a growing crisis over nitrate pollution in its drinking water. Gov. Kim Reynolds has now proposed a major funding package to tackle the issue. The move comes as at least seven communities have recorded unsafe nitrate levels since 2024. The governor’s plan includes over $100 million in state investment for water treatment over the next decade. A key part is a one-time $25 million boost to expand the Central Iowa Water Works nitrate removal facility, which serves more than 600,000 people. This facility has already run for over 100 days in 2026, as the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers neared record nitrate levels—exceeding the EPA’s safe limit of 10 milligrams per litre.

The package also directs $76 million to grant and loan schemes for rural communities upgrading their water systems. Another $52 million will go to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. This funding will support cover crops, reduced-tillage farming and wetlands in the Des Moines watershed to cut nitrate runoff from agriculture.

However, critics point out that much of the funding targets central Iowa, while some of the worst-affected areas lie elsewhere. Meanwhile, the Iowa Water Quality Information System—a network of over 60 real-time monitors—has been left out of the proposal. Without new funding, it risks losing its grant support by the end of July.

Long-term exposure to nitrates in drinking water has been tied to cancers and serious health risks for infants. The EPA’s limits exist to prevent these dangers, but multiple communities have struggled to stay within them. The funding aims to improve water treatment and reduce agricultural pollution over the next ten years. If approved, the measures will help utilities meet federal standards and protect public health. But without support for monitoring networks, gaps in tracking nitrate levels could remain.