Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey used his speech at a recent Republican Party fundraiser to blast the Des Moines Water Works lawsuit that raises questions about how farm chemical run-off is impacting water quality in the state.
The lawsuit alleges ag drainage tiles in Buena Vista, Calhoun and Sac Counties in northwest Iowa are improperly managed, causing the Des Moines Water Works to spend money removing nitrates from the central Iowa drinking water supply. Northey says government regulation of those tile lines is “absolutely wrong” because farmers are VOLUNTARILY addressing water quality concerns.
The C-E-O of the Des Moines Water Works says the voluntary strategy Northey has promoted for reducing nitrates in Iowa’s water is NOT working. The utility ran its nitrate removal equipment for a record 177 days last year to ensure the central Iowa drinking water supply was safe.
Current federal policy exempts agricultural run-off from Clean Water Act rules. The Des Moines Water Works’ lawsuit seeks to change that.
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