Nitrate levels in Des Moines' drinking water are hitting historic highs. The city just issued its first-ever lawn watering ban, and rural communities are struggling too. What’s going on?
In this episode, we revisit that grade school water cycle diagram—then rip it up. Because the reality in Iowa is very different. Think monocrops, fertilizer runoff, and millions of acres of buried tile lines rerouting water away from where it needs to go.
We talk with Iowa’s State Geologist Keith Schilling and Iowa Farmers Union President Aaron Lehman about how industrial ag broke the natural flow of water—and we can help fix it. It’s not just about science. It’s about systems.
And yes, you can do something. Starting with what’s on your plate.
Voices
Keith Schilling: State geologist and director of the Iowa Geological Survey
Aaron Lehman: Farmer and President of the Iowa Farmers Union (Disclosure: Host Beth Hoffman is a member of the Iowa Farmers Union Board of Directors)
Nitrate Watch Map
Nitrate Watch is a crowd-sourced community science project of the Izaak Walton League of America. This program mobilizes volunteers across the country to monitor nitrate levels in surface water (rivers, lakes, streams) and drinking water. The goals of Nitrate Watch are to raise awareness about the impacts of nitrates on the environment and human health, identify hotspots of nitrate pollution, and advocate for solutions that reduce nutrient pollution. Interactive Map >
Dig Deeper
Fertilizer sales rose in 2024, but researchers say farmers are getting more efficient
Nitrate in Drinking Water: A Public Health Concern for All Iowans (Iowa Environmental Council)
Iowans Across the State Asked To Conserve Water Due to Dry Wells-High Nitrate Levels (Iowa Capital Dispatch)
Excess fertilizer use: Which countries cause environmental damage by overapplying fertilizers? (Our World in Data)
Can we reduce fertilizer use without sacrificing food production? (Hannah Ritchie)
Over-application of Fertilizer on Iowa’s Farm Fields – Although Fertilizer is Expensive, Farmers are Indeed Wasting It (Sierra Club, Iowa Chapter)
How Agricultural Runoff Contaminated One of Iowas Main Water Sources (Dave Hage and Josephine Marcotty)
Are central Iowa's growing data centers causing the water crisis? Here's what to know
Watch recordings from workshops hosted by the Environmental Health Matters Initiative (EHMI) explored what actions can be taken on several levels to address the nitrogen contamination problem. Watch Now>
Take Action
Make the Iowa Local Food Promise—Join the Iowa Food System Coalition by pledging a portion of your food budget to be spent on local food this summer.
Press your legislators to fund conservation programs and support diversified farming practices—technical assistance is stretched too thin right now. Our partners at the Iowa Environmental Council supports policy change to:
Expand state water monitoring, including groundwater monitoring.
Improve state and local water use and hazard mitigation planning.
Institute restrictions on industrial water use and siting.
Share this episode with your friends, family, and neighbors. Talking about water is urgent and now, it's personal.
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Special thanks to Keith Schilling and Aaron Lehman for sharing their expertise, and to
and Chris Schwartz for editing. Music by Mixxmaster_TAB.
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