Iowa receives federal aid to remove lead water pipes in the state.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is working with local water authorities to plan where to prioritize the funds.
As part of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, cities and towns in Iowa are reducing the number of dangerous lead water pipes.
Cody Smith, director of climate initiatives at the Iowa Environmental Council, said even homes built as recently as 1988 are connected to the local water supply through lead pipes – putting people at risk even in Iowa's major cities like Des Moines and Council Bluffs.
“Especially for the most vulnerable groups, such as unborn babies or young children, there is an extreme and outsized risk associated with lead exposure from lead pipes,” Smith said. “This can lead to higher blood lead levels and developmental disorders in children.”
The state's Revolving Fund, the primary source for water infrastructure modernization, received more than $620 million under the bipartisan infrastructure bill.
According to the IEC, over 700 communities have benefited so far.
In addition to replacing lead pipes and modernizing water supply infrastructure, Smith said Iowa could also benefit from assistance with so-called diffuse source projects.
“This is runoff from agricultural fields and livestock operations that is causing nutrient contamination in source water,” Smith said. “And source water is water that is used for drinking anywhere in the state.”
Smith said these strategies could help farmers and local utilities reduce nitrates and other pollutants in the soil.
The Biden administration's goal is to replace all lead water pipes in the United States by 2031.
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Nearly a year after the U.S. Supreme Court exempted key watersheds from the Clean Water Act, the Polis administration has designated new protected areas for about 385 miles of 15 rivers and streams in the Upper and Lower Colorado, as well as the Eagle, Yampa and Roaring Fork river basins.
Chad Rudow, water quality program manager at the Roaring Fork Conservancy, said the Outstanding Waters designation is an important tool in protecting drinking water.
“That means the actual quality of the water is protected, and that's the highest level of protection that can be afforded to a river in the state of Colorado,” he said.
The purpose of the designation is to protect existing high-quality waterways from future degradation, including pollution from development, mining, oil and gas extraction, and other uses. Existing uses in the watershed will not be affected as long as they do not degrade current water quality.
The designation, which was unanimously approved by the Colorado Water Quality Control Commission in late August, is the result of years of work by conservation groups.
Carrie Sandstedt, senior fellow at the Pew Charitable Trusts, said many rivers in the state still need protection. She added that protecting water quality is critical not only for drinking water but also for healthy habitat for wildlife and ecosystems.
“This designation not only protects rivers and streams, but also the wetlands that surround them. It helps conserve important plants and other species that are critical to healthy freshwater habitats,” she said.
The designation also protects one of the state's biggest economic engines. A recent study found that Colorado's river basins generated nearly $11 billion in outdoor recreation spending in 2019. Rudow pointed out that clean water is essential for swimming, rafting and other activities throughout the Roaring Fork Valley.
“We have the second longest continuous stretch of Gold Medal waters in our watershed, which are world-class fishing waters. People literally come from all over the world to fly fish,” he explained.
Disclosure: The Pew Charitable Trusts – Environmental Group donates to our fund for coverage of Endangered Species and Wildlife, Environment, Public Lands/Wilderness. If you would like to help us support news in the public interest, click here.
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World Water Week is underway as world leaders discuss the global water crisis. In North Dakota, supply issues are less pressing, but that doesn't mean water conservation is taking a back seat.
Dani Quissell, executive director of the North Dakota Water Education Foundation, said the state is fortunate to have a more predictable water supply, the Missouri River, compared to other parts of the U.S.
However, she acknowledged that the droughts of recent years serve as a reminder to state governments, local authorities and citizens not to take this valuable resource for granted.
She said basic environmental protection tips apply at home too.
“You have to be careful when you run the faucet, when you're filling a jug,” Quissell said, “and then step away to let the dog out or something, and keep in mind that the water is going to overflow and go straight down the drain.”
She said mindfulness should also play a role in other daily behaviors, such as brushing teeth.
As for policymakers, Quissell called for intensive communication between different agencies to ensure that water services are prioritized when planning commercial and residential development.
Rising demand and inconsistent regulations are causing problems in the western states as important water sources dry up.
Quissell argued that North Dakota closely monitors water use across the state, and given the increasing threat of climate change, that must be the approach going forward, she said.
“This is an attitude that you should maintain in wet and dry periods,” Quissell said. “I think these are habits that you develop over the long term. I think it's important to think about how we manage the resources that are available to our children and grandchildren.”
Agriculture is a sector that has come under scrutiny because of its high water use for food production, but Quissell says innovation and technology have helped solve this problem.
She recommends that homeowners who water their lawns turn on the sprinkler system at dusk or before dawn. That way, the water won't evaporate as quickly in the midday heat.
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A new report finds that environmental violations at wastewater treatment plants are a problem in more than half of Idaho communities.
According to the Idaho Conservation League's annual study of the state's wastewater treatment plants, 58% of the plants will have violated Clean Water Act standards by 2023.
Will Tiedemann, conservation associate for the Idaho Conservation League, said his organization has not seen major changes between 2022 and 2023.
“It was sort of the status quo from last year,” Tiedemann said. “There were still a significant number of non-compliant facilities in Idaho. And of those, it's usually 10, 11 or 12 facilities that make up the lion's share.”
Tiedemann said his organization continues to investigate not only violations, but also overloading and the severity of the violations.
Three facilities in Driggs, Parma and Preston accounted for about a third of all violations. On a positive note, 47 cities and towns reported no violations in 2023.
According to Tiedemann, violations usually occur because phosphorus or nitrogen levels are elevated due to an excess of nutrients.
He pointed out that an excess of nutrients could lead to problems for water bodies, such as algal blooms.
“This has real consequences,” said Tiedemann, “for the environment, for recreation and for human health.”
In smaller communities, violations occur more frequently, says Tiedemann – and there is a reason for that.
“Big cities in Idaho have a tax base that allows them to operate more advanced treatment systems,” Tiedemann said. “They have more things to treat, but they have a disproportionate availability of resources to handle that. But in many smaller cities in Idaho, that's not always the case. They have limited budgets.”
Disclosure: The Idaho Conservation League donates to our fund for coverage of energy policy, environment, public lands/wilderness. If you would like to help us support news in the public interest, click here.
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