Recent Blogs - 2024

posted by Sarah Howe on Tuesday, May 14, 2024 Lead service lines (LSLs) and galvanized steel lead lines are pipes used to distribute water from a water utility. These types of pipelines were widely used prior to 1900 and well into the 20th century, although there was research even then to suggest that lead exposure had detrimental effects to human health. In the United States, LSLs were allowed, and often mandated, until the 1986 Safe Drinking Water Act Lead Ban.

posted by Michael Schmidt on Monday, May 13, 2024 New EPA regulations on coal ash will have an immediate impact in Iowa. On May 3rd, IEC submitted public comments on a draft permit that proposed to allow discharges of coal ash leachate upstream from the drinking water intake for Ottumwa.

posted by Guest Blogger on Thursday, May 2, 2024 Stormwater is the water that runs off impervious surfaces like paved roads, rooftops, and lawns. In this guest blog, Isaac Svoboda, Engineering Technician with the City of West Des Moines, discusses the West Des Moines Stormwater Assistance Program (SWAP). This program offers a practical way for the community to get involved in stormwater management while receiving financial incentives to do so.

posted by Marshall James on Tuesday, April 23, 2024 Monday, April 22nd was Earth Day and to celebrate, Iowans of diverse faiths rallied in Des Moines to demand a clean energy future. IEC Communications & Advocacy Associate Marshall James paints of a picture of the rally in this blog post.

posted by Guest Blogger on Tuesday, April 9, 2024 In this guest blog, Lyndy Holt shares results from her Master's work with the University of Iowa's Healthy Lakes Initiative. Iowa Water Watch readers were invited to participate in the Iowa Water Recreation Survey in the April 2023 newsletter. The survey yielded 1,638 respondents throughout the state and established the channels that Iowans use to learn about water health and safety.

posted on Thursday, April 4, 2024 While Earth Day officially takes place on Monday, April 22, many organizations, communities, and groups recognize and celebrate all things Earth and the environment throughout the month. Iowans have many ways to get involved and give back - find out more here!

posted by Alicia Vasto on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 A recent fertilizer spill at NEW Cooperative in southwest Iowa that entered the East Nishnabotna River killed approximately 750,000 fish over a 60 mile stretch of river. According to reporting from the Iowa Capital Dispatch, it is the largest fish kill in Iowa in a decade and the fifth largest in our state's history. IEC Water Program Director Alicia Vasto shares her dismay in this guest column published in the Gazette on April 2, 2024.

posted by Marshall James on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 On Friday, February 16, the Iowa Environmental Council (IEC) co-hosted a panel series called "The Inflation Reduction Act in Iowa: Implementing the Clean Energy and Climate Provisions" alongside partners at the Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative, Rewiring America, the UI Labor Center.

posted by Guest Blogger on Tuesday, March 12, 2024 In this guest blog from Northeast Iowa RC&D, Ross Evelsizer discusses the importance of recent water quality monitoring. Northeast Iowa RC&D has been coordinating water quality monitoring in northeast Iowa watersheds since 1999. This annual effort started in the Upper Iowa River watershed but has expanded to include the Upper Wapsipinicon and Turkey River watersheds.

posted by Alicia Vasto on Monday, March 11, 2024 IEC Water Program Director Alicia Vasto traveled to Washington, D.C. March 4-7, 2024, for the Mississippi River Network's (MRN) annual fly-in. This network of supporters advocated on behalf of the Mississippi River watershed, and granted us the opportunity to connect with Iowa legislators.