• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / News / Major source of drinking water for 500,000 Iowans unusable for 110 days

Major source of drinking water for 500,000 Iowans unusable for 110 days

January 4, 2021 By Radio Iowa Contributor

The Raccoon River in Des Moines.

The state’s largest water utility could not use one of its main sources for drinking water for more than three months this past year.

The Des Moines Water Works taps into the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers to provide drinking water to more than half a million central Iowans. Des Moines Water Works CEO Ted Corrigan says the Des Moines River was “essentially unusable” as a source late last summer and into the fall.

“We had microcistyn concentrations in the Des Moines River at our intake that were above the EPA health advisory level for drinking water for 110 days in a row,” he says.

Microcistyns are toxins produced by blue-green algae and can cause hives and rashes on the skin as well as liver damage if the water is swallowed. The utility doesn’t have a way to treat the water to remove those toxins.

Nearly six years ago, the utility’s board of directors voted to sue over ag-related water contamination. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed, but some environment groups continue to press for mandatory limits on farm chemical use. Corrigan says the utility is looking for a path between legislation and litigation to promote clean water in central Iowa.

(By Iowa Public Radio’s Clay Masters)

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Health / Medicine, News

Featured Stories

All bodies of missing now recovered from rubble of collapsed Davenport building

Governor signs child care expansion into law

Iowa seniors have until July 1 to apply for new property tax break

Smoke from distant fires creates colorful sunrise in Iowa

DOT’s Motor Vehicle Enforcement Division to merge into State Patrol

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

Hawkeye women to play Virginia Tech

Radio Iowa/Baseball Coaches Association High School Poll 6/5/23

Iowa eliminated at NCAA regional

Iowa names Beth Goetz interim AD

Cyclone Trio Invited to USA Basketball U19 Training Camp

More Sports

Archives

Copyright © 2023 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC