Hundreds of Iowans gathered in Des Moines to confront mounting evidence that farm runoff is contaminating drinking water and possibly driving the state’s rising cancer rates.
Carey Gillam reports for The New Lede.
In short:
- A new Polk County-commissioned report links pesticides, fertilizers, manure, and other farm pollutants in Iowa waterways to increased cancer risks and unsafe nitrate levels.
- Nitrate contamination in the Raccoon River recently forced Des Moines’ water utility to limit use for 600,000 residents, with tests still showing levels above federal safety standards.
- Residents, farmers, and local leaders called for enforceable regulations on agriculture, citing state inaction and growing health concerns in rural communities.
Key quote:
“I truly believe that there is something in the water and I want something done about it.”
— Angela Connolly, Polk County supervisor
Why this matters:
Iowa’s drinking water contamination crisis reflects a national struggle to balance agricultural productivity with environmental and public health. Fertilizers, pesticides, and manure from industrial-scale farms can wash into rivers and groundwater, carrying nitrates and other chemicals linked to cancer and developmental problems. For rural families relying on private wells, the risks are even greater, as these systems often lack treatment safeguards. High nitrate levels threaten infants with potentially fatal conditions like blue baby syndrome, while long-term exposure raises cancer risks for all ages. With agriculture dominating Iowa’s economy and politics, regulating runoff pits economic interests against basic health protections, leaving residents to grapple with unsafe water and a growing sense of vulnerability in their own homes.
Read more: Nitrate pollution clouds Des Moines tap water as lawn ban eases
