A bill passed by a House subcommittee would add a step before adding a lake or waterway to the state’s impaired waters list because of high E. coli levels.
The bill would require the Iowa DNR to identify specific sources of fecal bacteria before adding it to the list.
Representatives from the Sierra Club of Iowa and Humane World for Animals expressed support for monitoring water quality and efforts to identify sources of pollutants.
However, the groups mentioned how the requirement would be expensive and impractical for the DNR.
Colleen Fowle with the Iowa Environmental Council said the change would also lead to an undercount of impaired waters in the state, which would increase health risks for people, pets, and livestock.
Iowa DNR biologist Jason Palmer said the tool can help identify potential sources of fecal contamination, but it doesn’t break down the percentage of E. coli from different sources.
In related news, Food and Water Watch and the Iowa Environmental Council plan to sue the EPA unless it returns seven Iowa waterways to the state’s impaired waters list.
Last year the EPA removed segments of the Cedar, Des Moines, Iowa, and South Skunk rivers from the list after it previously stated they exceeded safe drinking water standards for nitrate.
Every two years states must submit a list of every impaired waterbody or river segment to the EPA. The state works with the agency to create a restoration plan and a goal to reduce pollutants.
Causes for impairment include fish-killing fertilizer spills, E. coli, and high nutrient levels.
