Trustees of the Des Moines Water Works “affirmed the utility’s intent to sue three northwestern Iowa counties over high nitrate levels in the Raccoon River,” which supplies water to the state capital, says the Des Moines Register. It says the board approved a 60-day notice of intent to sue Sac, Buena Vista and Calhoun counties. The Water Works says it spends thousands of dollars a day to purify water because nitrate levels in the river are far above federal limits. The Register quotes Water Works chairman Graham Gillette as saying the utility seeks to protect Iowa waterways by forcing drainage districts to control agricultural runoff.
The lawsuit would be filed in federal court and allege a violation of clean water laws, says the Register. The utility says drainage districts should be treated as “point” sources and operate under stricter pollution rules than so-called non-point sources such as farms and lawns. Nitrates occur naturally in soil but levels can surge when rain washes manure or fertilizer into streams.