Podcasts about des moines water works

In this installment of the People Places Planet Explained Series, host Dara Albrecht is joined by Robin Rotman, Assistant Professor at the University of Missouri, and Camille Pannu, Associate Professor at Columbia Law School and Director of the Environmental and Climate Justice Clinic, to break down the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA)—the cornerstone law protecting America's drinking water. The conversation covers SDWA's origins, its regulatory reach over public water systems, and the emerging challenges tied to small system compliance, contaminants like PFAS, and growing infrastructure needs. Rotman and Pannu explain key concepts such as maximum contaminant levels, variances, citizen suits, and the relationship between SDWA and the Clean Water Act. They also discuss notable cases like Des Moines Water Works and Flint, Michigan, and examine how funding limitations and legal battles shape drinking water protections today. Looking forward, they reflect on future developments in private well regulation, point-of-use treatment technologies, and technical assistance for vulnerable communities. This episode offers an essential primer for anyone interested in how public health, environmental law, and infrastructure converge at the tap. ★ Support this podcast ★

Thanks for joining us! Today we welcome Chris Jones a Retired Research Engineer from the University of Iowa and author of The Swine Republic, Struggles with Truth About Agriculture and Water Quality. Today he and Monte discuss the agricultural efficiencies and practices that we can make happen in more environmentally responsible ways. That includes a system approach to our entire management practices. Chris talks about how we can work to deploy these practices in enough areas that they can make a difference at the landscape scale. It's a powerful conversation so let's jump right in. Chris Jones retired in May of 2023 as a Research Engineer from IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering at the University of Iowa, where his work focused on water quality and water monitoring in agricultural landscapes. Previous to that he worked at the Des Moines Water Works and the Iowa Soybean Association. Chris has a BA in Biology and Chemistry from Simpson College and a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Montana State University. He has authored 55 scientific journal articles, several book chapters and is author of the book The Swine Republic, Struggles with Truth About Agriculture and Water Quality. He also writes a weekly column posted on Substack at Riverraccoon.substack.com. He lives in Iowa City, Iowa. Tell us your background and how you reached today's line of work. I was born in Illinois and spent most of the rest of my life in Iowa and have observed firsthand how the state and its agricultural production systems have changed since the 1960s. While some things about agriculture's impact on the environment have improved, the environmental consequences of cornbelt agriculture are still severe and affect the quality of life of the region's residents. Consolidation in agriculture since that time has also had dire consequences for the prosperity and vitality of small-town Iowa. My work has focused on these consequences and how the condition of our environment can be improved within the backdrop of intense crop and livestock production. Got questions you want answered? Send them our way and we'll do our best to research and find answers. Know someone you think would be great on the AgEmerge stage or podcast? Send your questions or suggestions to kim@asn.farm we'd love to hear from you.

On this edition of Iowa Press, Ted Corrigan, CEO and general manager of Des Moines Water Works, and David Cwiertny, professor of civil and environmental engineering and director of the Center of Health Effects of Environmental Contamination at the University of Iowa, discuss water quality and water supply issues.

Iowa State University Water Quality expert Chris Jones, @riverraccoon, just published a damning indictment of the governing officials of Iowa and Big Ag in overseeing the disastrous consequences of our profit over people driven agricultural model. Learn how the Department of Natural Resources and a host of other agencies collude in allowing agriculture to extract maximum payment from taxpayers, even as they flush ever increasing quantities of pollutants into the water system.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support What Doesn't Kill You by becoming a member!What Doesn't Kill You is Powered by Simplecast.

Iowa State University Water Quality expert Chris Jones, @riverraccoon, just published a damning indictment of the governing officials of Iowa and Big Ag in overseeing the disastrous consequences of our profit over people driven agricultural model. Learn how the Department of Natural Resources and a host of other agencies collude in allowing agriculture to extract maximum payment from taxpayers, even as they flush ever increasing quantities of pollutants into the water system.Heritage Radio Network is a listener supported nonprofit podcast network. Support What Doesn't Kill You by becoming a member!What Doesn't Kill You is Powered by Simplecast.

Has rural farming and small town America changed where you live?  On today's episode of the Thriving Farmer Podcast, our guest is Chris Jones who has recently served as a Research Engineer at the University of Iowa. While there, he studied and wrote about the declining quality of water as a result of the changes in agriculture and the environment over the past century. He shares those thoughts and critiques through his blog which was released as a book entitled The Swine Republic on May 19th. Through authoring books, advocacy and research, few have attracted more attention to the causes and sources of farm-related pollution than Chris Jones.  Tune in to hear about Chris' thoughts on how we can protect our environment and the future of rural America. In this episode, you'll hear: How Chris got started in water quality research 1:51 About the water quality of the places Chris has researched 5:12 More on what happens when nitrate gets into the water 9:39 About Chris' role throughout the majority of his career 13:11 How people in Iowa can give political pushback in support of cleaner water 21:00 What Chris' new book is about and the future state of rural America 26:17 Products mentioned in the show: Chris' book The Swine Republic (or pre-order via Amazon) About the Guest: Chris Jones is a Research Engineer with IIHR-Hydroscience & Engineering at the University of Iowa. He holds a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Montana State University and a BA in chemistry and biology from Simpson College. Previous career stops include the Des Moines Water Works and the Iowa Soybean Association. As an avid outdoorsman, he enjoys fishing, bird watching, gardening, and mushroom hunting in both Iowa and Wisconsin. While he spends most of his time in Iowa City, he is especially fond of the Upper Mississippi River and the Driftless Area. Resources: Blog: https://riverraccoon.blogspot.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RiverRaccoon Substack: https://riverraccoon.substack.com/     This podcast is sponsored by Small Farm University, THE go-to resource for gardeners, homesteaders, and farmers around the world. Small Farm University delivers classes online and on demand, with training on how to grow crops AND how to grow a profitable farm business that serves you, your family, and your community well.  Applying what you learn in SFU could save you countless hours and thousands of dollars. And, it can save you the agony of costly mistakes some make, just because they “don't know what they don't know.” Delivered by real farmers with hands-on experience and expertise, it is unique in its approach, using the RIPEN method for growing and building a farm or farm business. To learn more, visit:  GrowingFarmers.com today!  

How do Climate Change and Agriculture Affect Drinking Water?Throughout the US, agricultural and livestock runoff are some of the largest contributors to drinking water pollution, especially in heavily farmed states like California and Iowa. As part of farming, producers use pesticides and fertilizers which, without strategies like cover cropping, can run off and enter the water stream, leading to elevated levels of dissolved nitrates and phosphorus and causing toxic algal blooms. Climate change associated droughts and floods may be making the problem of agricultural pollutants in water worse by increasing runoff rates, stimulating algal blooms, and reducing the availability of alternative water sources providers can turn to. At the same time, excessive nitrate pollution in agriculture may itself exacerbate greenhouse gas emissions by increasing the nitrous oxide emitted by soil and polluted waters. In Iowa, the Des Moines Department of Water Works is looking for collaborative solutions.What is Des Moines Water Works Doing About Agricultural Pollution?Like many water utilities, DMWW is under pressure to remove agricultural pollutants from their water sources, an issue exacerbated by climate change. However, DMWW faces additional challenges as the largest water utility in an agriculturally and livestock intensive state – about 83 percent of Iowa land is farmed, and it's the top producer of hogs in the US. Widespread use of tile drainage systems, which accelerate the rate that water drains from agricultural land, also increases the amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus that can enter the water stream.DMWW wants to do more than remove nitrates and phosphates from their water supply via expensive filtration systems – they want to reduce the amounts entering Central Iowa's water stream to begin with. But because agricultural runoff is considered nonpoint pollution, meaning it can't be traced back to a single farm, DMWW has no authority with which to force farmers to change their practices and reduce pollution. After attempts at passing stricter pollution regulations were unsuccessful, DMWW filed a lawsuit against 13 Iowa drainage districts over nitrate pollution, but it was dismissed in 2017. Now, they've shifted strategies towards educational outreach and collaboration. “Protecting source water upstream from us, if we don't have laws in our favor for that. If we don't have a lawsuit in our back pocket that we're going to whip out again, we don't right now, then we're left with collaboration,” DMWW External Affairs Manager Jennifer Terry tells Climate Break. “And so I've been putting my full weight into collaborating the last year and a half … building coalitions with people that you would maybe consider … unlikely allies.” What Does Collaboration Look Like?As an example, Terry cites the recent purchase of a John Deere cover crop seeder in part partnership with other local organizations. Now, DMWW is working with agricultural retailer Heartland Cooperative to sell its services to central Iowan farmers. Cover cropping can reduce erosion and increase the amount of nutrients retained by soil, preventing pollutants from draining into the water supply. It also has benefits for climate change mitigation: planting cover crops, rather than leaving land bare during the off season, sequesters more carbon in the soil and reduces emissions. “Is that project over the next four years going to clean up our rivers? No,” Terry acknowledges, “but what it's going to do is hopefully demonstrate a scalable model of how municipalities and private industry can come together and hopefully make it win-win-win … [the] land owner gets to keep his or her soil on the farm, we get to keep the contaminants out of the water, and we get to … work together with people who share our values for an end game of cleaner source water.”Additional Resources:Search for more information on your local water supply by zip codeNutrient Pollution: AgricultureEPA: Protecting Water Quality from Agricultural RunoffDMWW WebsiteIowa's Toxic Brew: Coping with the climate-chemical reaction that can play havoc with drinking waterOpinion: 'Sounding the alarm' may mean spring water quality challenges for Des Moines Water Works, again

Throughout the US, agricultural and livestock runoff are some of the largest contributors to drinking water pollution, especially in heavily farmed states like California and Iowa. Pesticides and fertilizers which, without strategies like cover cropping, can enter the water stream, leading to elevated levels of dissolved nitrates and phosphorus and causing toxic algal blooms. Listen to Jennifer Terry, external affairs manager for Des Moines Water Works, Iowa's largest water treatment utility, about their solutions for reducing agricultural pollutants in water stream.

A federal watchdog says the Trump administration overpaid corn farmers by about $3 billion in federal aid in 2019. The top Democrat in the Iowa House of Representatives says her number one priority for the upcoming legislative session is addressing the state's workforce crisis. Plus, the Des Moines Water Works board has approved plans to negotiate with neighboring communities to create a regional water system.

On this edition of Iowa Press, our guests include Ted Corrigan, CEO and general manager of Des Moines Water Works, and Larry Weber, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Iowa, who leads the Iowa Watershed Approach and is co-founder of the Iowa Flood Center and former director of IIHR. They discuss water quality and water supply issues across the state. 

The Des Moines Water Works is searching for new sources of unpolluted water. The post Clean Up Your Act 5-17-21 appeared first on Jazz 88.3 KCCK.

March 27, 2020 Ted Corrigan is interim CEO and General Manager and Kyle Danley is Director of Water Production at … More

Pulitzer Prize winning writer Art Cullen joins us on the podcast. Cullen, editor of The Storm Lake Times, won the 2017 Pulitzer Prize in Editorial Writing. His work detailed the role deceptive agricultural corporations played in a lawsuit between three rural Iowa counties and Des Moines Water Works regarding water pollution. In the wake of that award, Cullen was approached by a handful of publishers about writing a book. He wrote Storm Lake: A Chronicle of Change, Resilience, and Hope from a Heartland Newspaper, a book about both his life and the life of a community in northwest Iowa that has been challenged by changes in the meat-packing industry and shaped by diversity. In the podcast, Cullen talks about practicing journalism in a small community, the positive impact The Storm Lake Times has had on the town's large immigrant population, and more.

Did you know that water is our most important nutrient, and industrial agricultural production methods threaten water quality, public health, and quality of life in rural communities? Join Food Sleuth Radio host and Registered Dietitian, Melinda Hemmelgarn, for her interview with William Stowe, CEO and General Manager of the Des Moines Water Works. Stowe sits on the board of directors of the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies, which comprises the largest drinking water utilities in North America. He describes the environmental and economic impacts of industrial agriculture on rural communities, with citizens forced to pay to clean up polluted water which threatens their health and prohibits recreational water use.  Stowe exposes the “feed the world” meme, explaining how conventional Midwestern agriculture (corn, soy) feeds gas tanks, and hogs that go to China – at the expense of the local environment and all who live downstream. He provides listeners with tips for strengthening local control, and knowing and protecting our watersheds. Related website:  http://www.dmww.com

The Des Moines Water Works suit against upstream farmers gets shut down, and WOTUS likely will look a lot different, in a good way, under President Trump’s EPA. Farm Bureau policy counsel Leah Curtis has the updated news.

This week on What Doesn't Kill You, host Katy Keiffer is joined by Bill Stowe, CEO of Des Moines Water Works, to discuss an Iowa Supreme Court ruling that the utility cannot win damage payments from drainage districts accused of sending fertilizers and other pollution unchecked into the Raccoon River. The utility hoped to recover damages in its lawsuit to make up for the costs of running its nitrate removal facility. But the court upheld nearly a century of precedent that drainage districts are immune to lawsuits.

This week on What Doesn't Kill You, host Katy Keiffer is joined by Bill Stowe, CEO of Des Moines Water Works, to discuss an Iowa Supreme Court ruling that the utility cannot win damage payments from drainage districts accused of sending fertilizers and other pollution unchecked into the Raccoon River. The utility hoped to recover damages in its lawsuit to make up for the costs of running its nitrate removal facility. But the court upheld nearly a century of precedent that drainage districts are immune to lawsuits.

Delaney Howell and Mike Pearson take a look at news from the EPA and JBS, talk with Angie Setzer about today's softness in the grain markets, and discuss the dismissal of the Des Moines Water Works lawsuit with Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey.

Learn more about a precedent setting lawsuit against upriver counties for municipal water pollution in Des Moines, Iowa on today’s episode of What Doesn’t Kill You. Katy Keiffer is joined by Bill Stowe, CEO of Des Moines Water Works. In 1919, Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) was formed as an independently owned and operated public utility, deriving its legal status from the Constitution of the State of Iowa and the statutes enacted by the Iowa General Assembly. Its legal authority is set out in Article III, Sec. 38A, Constitution of the State of Iowa; Chapter 388, Code of Iowa; and Division V, Chapter 384, Code of Iowa. The Board of Trustees has all of the powers of the City Council to operate the utility, except for levying taxes. The utility is owned by the water rate payers. The Board of Water Works Trustees of the City of Des Moines, Iowa, consists of five members, appointed by the Mayor of the City of Des Moines for a term of six years. The Board of Water Works Trustees appoints Des Moines Water Works CEO and General Manager. “90% of the [water] nutrient problem is from agriculture.” [20:00] — Bill Stowe “A sales tax to deal with water quality problems. Why should everybody else have to pay for agricultural pollution?” [23:00] — Katy Keiffer  

Learn more about a precedent setting lawsuit against upriver counties for municipal water pollution in Des Moines, Iowa on today’s episode of What Doesn’t Kill You. Katy Keiffer is joined by Bill Stowe, CEO of Des Moines Water Works. In 1919, Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) was formed as an independently owned and operated public utility, deriving its legal status from the Constitution of the State of Iowa and the statutes enacted by the Iowa General Assembly. Its legal authority is set out in Article III, Sec. 38A, Constitution of the State of Iowa; Chapter 388, Code of Iowa; and Division V, Chapter 384, Code of Iowa. The Board of Trustees has all of the powers of the City Council to operate the utility, except for levying taxes. The utility is owned by the water rate payers. The Board of Water Works Trustees of the City of Des Moines, Iowa, consists of five members, appointed by the Mayor of the City of Des Moines for a term of six years. The Board of Water Works Trustees appoints Des Moines Water Works CEO and General Manager. “90% of the [water] nutrient problem is from agriculture.” [20:00] — Bill Stowe “A sales tax to deal with water quality problems. Why should everybody else have to pay for agricultural pollution?” [23:00] — Katy Keiffer  

Whoops…vapor lock doesn’t mean THAT?   Iowa farmers don’t like the Des Moines Water Works proposed lawsuit against NW Iowa counties for nitrates in the river.   Senator Rand Paul on the issues.   Then,  Doug Gross and Leonard Larson reject the oil pipeline across Iowa.  They don’t want eminent domain used to acquire the land.  515-242-2400 to get a lawyer to fight the pipeline.