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Letter to the Editor
Growing up in rural Iowa, I spent a lot of time at nearby waterways. I learned to tell the quality of a waterway by the ecosystem in and around it or the lack of one.
Now, Iowa faces a public health and water crisis that demands immediate action. Our state ranks second in the nation for new cancer cases, with 87 of 99 counties exceeding the national cancer rate. With no comprehensive plan, this trend will continue or even get worse.
The average nitrate concentrations in Iowa’s drinking water increased between 2003 and 2017, with a concentration averaged across 236 towns reaching as high as 5 parts per million (ppm).
Recent studies show that extended exposure to nitrate levels at half the EPA's maximum drinking water limit of 10 ppm can still have adverse effects on health, potentially increasing the risks of preterm birth, birth defects, and various types of cancer.
With increasing nitrates in our water, rural hospitals closing, thousands of Iowans lost or losing healthcare coverage, we have increasing cancer risks and no where to go for help. That's unacceptable!
For a healthy Iowa, we need healthy water. Contact your elected officials, talk to candidates running for office, start nitrate testing in your area, demand mandatory agricultural practices that protect our waterways. Iowan's health needs to be a major priority!! If we all do a little, we can make big changes and improve the quality of life for all Iowans! Our lives literally depend on it!
Heather Casey
Iowa resident and Iowa CCI member
Thank you for your consideration!
Heather Casey
Fort Dodge