IOWA’S WATER QUALITY: A Public Health Perspective

Agenda Presenter / Organization

Welcome Pam Mollenhauer, Iowa Public Health Association

Keynote: Global Perspective on

Water Quality in Iowa Paul Johnson

Surface Water: A Public Health Perspective

Development of Water Monitoring

Programs to Answer Critical

Questions

Mary Skopec, Iowa Lakeside Laboratory

Early Warnings of Harmful Algal

Blooms in Lakes Grace Wilkinson, Iowa State University

Panel Q&A: Threats to Surface

Water

Mary Skopec, Iowa Lakeside Laboratory

Grace Wilkinson, Iowa State University

Chris Jones, IIHR - Hydroscience & Engineering

Break

Ground Water: A Public Health Perspective

Private Wells Russ Tell, Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources

Emerging Issues: Radionuclides Dustin May, State Hygienic Lab

Panel Q&A: Threats to Ground

Water

Russ Tell, Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources

Dustin May, State Hygienic Lab

Brian Hanft, Cerro Gordo County Dept. of Public

Health

Water Policy: A Public Health Perspective

Water Quality in Iowa - A State

Toxicologist's Perspective Stu Schmitz, Iowa Dept. of Public Health

Public Health and Drinking Water: A

State Policy Perspective

Katie Meehan, National Conference of State

Legislatures

Panel Q&A: Policy Opportunities

and Challenges

Stu Schmitz, Iowa Dept. of Public Health

Katie Meehan, National Conference of State

Legislatures

Mark Moeller, Iowa Dept. of Natural Resources

Wrap Up: Future Interest Larry Weber, IIHR - Hydroscience & Engineering

Iowa Public Health Association - 1

IOWA’S WATER QUALITY: A Public Health Perspective

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IOWA’S WATER QUALITY: A Public Health Perspective 

Keynote Speaker: Paul Johnson        Paul Johnson is a long-time advocate for Iowa’s environment.  Mr. Johnson served three terms in the Iowa State Legislature from 1984-1990 where he took part in developing Iowa’s Groundwater Protection Act, the Resource Enhancement and Protection Act, and the Iowa Energy Efficiency Act. He was chief of the Soil Conservation Service (now the Natural Resources Conservation Service) at the United States Department of Agriculture in Washington DC from 1993-1997. He then served as the director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources from 1999-2000.        Mr. Johnson and his family have owned and operated Oneota Slopes Farm near Decorah, Iowa since 1974.  He and his wife, Pat, have built their retirement home on the farm and a summer cabin in the north woods along the Minnesota-Canada border.  Mary Skopec        Dr. Mary Skopec is the Executive Director of Iowa Lakeside Laboratory: Regents Resource Center located on the shore of West Lake Okoboji in Northwest Iowa. Lakeside Lab is an Iowa Board of Regents campus dedicated to education of post-secondary students, research on aquatic systems and terrestrial landscapes, and community engagement on environmental topics. Prior to joining Lakeside Lab in December of 2016, Dr. Skopec worked with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for nearly 20 years in a variety of roles including directing the statewide water quality monitoring program, the beach monitoring program and IOWATER (citizen-based volunteer monitoring). She holds an interdisciplinary Ph.D. from the University of Iowa in Environmental Science along with M.A. and B.S. degrees in Geography also from the University of Iowa. 

 Grace Wilkinson        Dr. Wilkinson is a limnologist and assistant professor at Iowa State University. She received her Ph.D. in 2015 in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia. Her research focuses on ecological resilience and nutrient dynamics in lakes. Specifically, her lab group is developing early warning indicators of regime shifts, such as the onset of harmful algal blooms, as a management tool for lakes and reservoirs.    

Chris Jones        Dr. Jones has served as Research Engineer and Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Iowa IIHR since June 2015.  Other previous roles include Environmental Scientist with the Iowa Soybean Association and Laboratory Supervisor with Des Moines Water Works. His primary research interests are in contaminant hydrology, nutrient and sediment transport, agriculture and water quality, and water monitoring.  

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IOWA’S WATER QUALITY: A Public Health Perspective 

  

Russ Tell        Russ Tell works with the statewide private well program managed by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources in Des Moines, Iowa. The private well program provides private well technical assistance for water well contractors, county environmental health programs, state and federal agencies, citizens, and businesses. He also assists in rule interpretation, rule development and enforcement, well program training resources and assessment of training events, and well contractor certification.        Russ is a former National Groundwater Association Master Ground Water Contractor and has over 20 years of hands-on experience in the water well industry. For the last 15 years, he has worked directly with county, state, and local groundwater programs.  Dustin May        Dustin May is the laboratory supervisor of the State Hygienic Laboratory's radiochemistry and nutrient demand departments. He graduated from the University of Iowa in 2006 with a Bachelor's Degree in Chemistry and has 10 years of experience in analytical chemistry with 5 years of experience in radioanalytical chemistry. When not in the lab, Dustin enjoys playing with his dogs, distance running, and brewing beer. He is currently a PhD student in the Interdisciplinary Human Toxicology Program at the University of Iowa focusing on naturally occurring radioactivity in Iowa groundwater and its impact to public health. He can be contacted by email at dustin-may@uiowa.edu.   Brian Hanft      For the past 14 years, Mr. Hanft has served as the Deputy Director of Public Health and as Environmental Health Service Manager for the Cerro Gordo County Department of Public Health located in Mason City, Iowa. Prior, Hanft was employed by the Polk County Environmental Health programs and the Black Hawk County Health Department. He is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Environmental Planning and holds a Master of Public Administration Degree from Drake University.    Stu Schmitz        Mr. Schmitz is an Environmental Toxicologist and partner at the Iowa Department of Public Health.  He received his MS in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University and is a registered professional Chemical Engineer.  He has worked in the environmental field since 1984.  He worked in the past for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and has been with the Iowa Department of Public Health since 2004.  He has also worked as a private environmental consultant.   

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IOWA’S WATER QUALITY: A Public Health Perspective 

  

 Katie Meehan        As a policy associate in the environment, energy, and transportation division at NCSL, Katie Meehan conducts legislative research related to state environmental policies, focusing on state parks, water, natural disasters, and wildlife. Ms. Meehan also responsible for coordinating the Tribal Caucus, which is part of the National Transportation Stakeholders Forum, and the Nuclear Energy Tribal Working Group (NETWG). Both working groups focus on bringing Native American tribes, the Department of Energy, and states together to achieve effective policy solutions, with a specific focus on transportation and disposal of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste.  Mark Moeller        Mark Moeller was named the Iowa Department of Natural Resources Water Supply Engineering Supervisor in May 2015. An eastern Iowa native, Mark began his career in the drinking water industry in 2001 as a student operator at the University of Iowa Water Plant where he received his Grade II Drinking Water Treatment certification. After graduating in 2004 with a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Iowa, he joined the Iowa DNR Water Supply Engineering Section as an Environmental Engineer. Mark believes it takes teamwork, strong relationships, and collaboration amongst everyone in the water industry to ensure safe, sustainable drinking water for Iowa’s citizens.   Larry Weber        Dr. Larry Weber serves as Director of IIHR—Hydroscience & Engineering at the University of Iowa where he is also a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and holds the Edwin B. Green Chair in Hydraulics. Among Dr. Weber’s research interests are coupling first principles computational fluid dynamics with water quality and individual-based ecological models, large-river restoration, and linking large-scale watershed models to flood response and resiliency.   

  

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NITRATE IN YOUR DRINKING WATER: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Water quality in the State of Iowa has been an increasing

public health concern in recent years, primarily due to nitrate

levels that exceed the EPA standard set in 1962 of 10 mg/L

for drinking water. Originally established to combat blue-

baby syndrome, or methemoglobinemia, a serious, life-

threatening condition that is now rare, the nitrate standard is

intended to protect the public from other potential health

risks.

Research has suggested links

between elevated nitrate levels in

drinking water and certain cancers,

birth defects, macular degeneration,

and reproductive and thyroid

problems. Individuals experiencing

long-term exposures or whose health

status makes them especially

vulnerable to adverse effects of nitrate exposure are at higher

risk.

In 2015, the Des Moines Register reported that 60 Iowa

cities and towns have experienced high nitrate levels in their

drinking water over a five-year period, and 30 percent of the

state’s 880 municipal water systems were found to be “highly

susceptible of becoming contaminated by nitrates and

pollutants,” according to the Iowa DNR.

People can be exposed to nitrate through drinking water,

and through consumption of some vegetables and processed

meats, and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and a

variety of drugs that contain nitrogen-based compounds.

Nitrate in drinking water contributes a significant portion of

the total body burden of nitrate from these various

exposures.

Much of the cancer and birth defects research related to

nitrate exposure via drinking water has been conducted with

Iowa populations. Studies indicate that increased risks for

cancer outcomes are related to long-term consumption of

drinking water, even when nitrate levels are at half the EPA

standard (5 mg/L). Because of this, one of the major

questions currently under debate is whether the EPA’s

drinking water standard of 10 mg/L is sufficiently protective.

These findings are a strong indication for the need to act now to reduce pollution and improve Iowa’s water quality.

References 1Brender et al. Prenatal nitrate intake from drinking water and selected birth defects in offspring of participants in the National Birth Defects

Prevention Study. Environ Health Perspec. 2013; 121(9):1083-1089. 2Jones et al. Nitrate from drinking water and diet and bladder cancer among postmenopausal women in Iowa. Environ Health Perspec. 2016;

DOI:10.1289/EHP191. 3Inoue Choi et al. Nitrate and nitrite ingestion and risk of ovarian cancer among postmenopausal women in Iowa. Int J Cancer. 2015 137:173-182. 4Ward et al. Nitrate intake from drinking water and diet and the risk of thyroid cancer and thyroid disease. Epidemiology. 2010; 21(3):389-95. “Nitrate in Drinking Water: A Public Health Concern for All Iowans” http://www.iaenvironment.org/news-resources/publications/water-and-

land-publications

Prepared by: Iowa Water Quality and Public Health Consortium: University of Iowa, University of Northern Iowa, Drake University, Iowa Public

Health Association

For more information: email cheec@uiowa.edu

Birth Defects - Increased Rates of Occurrence Due to Nitrate Exposure from Drinking Water1

Daily Ingestion of Nitrates by Pregnant Mothers

DISORDER RISK NITRATE CONSUMPTION LEVEL

SPINA BIFIDA 2 times higher 5.0 mg/L daily LIMB DEFICIENCIES 1.8 times higher 5.4 mg/L daily CLEFT PALATE 1.9 times higher 5.4 mg/L daily

-National Birth Defects Prevention Study

Cancers - Increased Rates of Occurrence Due to Nitrate Exposure from Drinking Water2,3,4

DISORDER

RISK

DRINKING WATER NITRATE LEVEL

DURATION OF EXPOSURE

BLADDER CANCER

1.6 times higher

> 5.0 mg/L nitrate-N

4 years

OVARIAN CANCER

2.0 times higher

> 3.0 mg/L nitrate-N

11 years

THYROID CANCER 2.5 times higher > 5.0 mg/L nitrate-N 5 years

-Iowa Women’s Health Study

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www.iowapha.org 515.491.7804 iowapha@gmail.com www.facebook.com/IowaPublicHealthAssociation

Iowa Public Health Association

– The voice of public health in Iowa

ADDRESS IOWA’S WATER QUALITY TO PROTECT PUBLIC HEALTH The Issue:

Water has a profound influence on health. A minimum amount is required for consumption each day for

survival, and the influence of water on health goes far beyond this as water is a principal medium for disease

prevention. In 1987, surface and groundwater integrity was a concern and therefore, the Groundwater

Protection Act was adopted (Iowa Code Chapter 455E). The intent of the act was to prevent contamination of

groundwater from point and nonpoint sources to the maximum extent practical. Many outstanding initiatives

were developed from this legislation.

However, the risks to the health of Iowans from polluted water remain real and include:

• Longstanding issues: nutrients (nitrate), pesticides (atrazine, herbicide degradates), disinfection

byproducts (trihalomethanes, haloacetic acids)

• Emerging issues: arsenic, microcystin/cyanobacteria, neonicotinoid insecticides, pharmaceutical

compounds

• Properly treated water that may become contaminated again after it leaves the treatment plant and enters

the distribution system due to infrastructure in need of repair (e.g., lead).

Exposure to water affected by harmful algal blooms can result in dermatological, gastric, neurological and

respiratory problems. Exposure to nitrates and other compounds in drinking water pose risks to infants and is

associated with birth defects. In Iowa studies, long-term, low dose exposure to nitrates is associated with an

increased risk for bladder, ovary and thyroid cancers.

Iowa’s water quality issues are complex and severe, but for the health of Iowans, our solutions must be

collective. There are real public health benefits to improved water quality, and we must promote the basic right

of all Iowans to safe and affordable drinking water. Addressing water quality will produce co-wins for Iowa’s

other non-health sectors by strengthening local economies; reducing potential for flooding; providing more

inviting places for people to recreate and exercise; and making our making our communities more attractive

places to live, work and play.

Policy Solutions:

• Update Iowa Department of Natural Resources rules and funding to support a fully comprehensive water

monitoring plan

• Engage State Hygienic Laboratory (SHL) for science-driven water monitoring plan implementation,

maintain and augment testing network capacity.

• Invest in substantial, sustainable funding and an accountable watershed-based approach that brings urban

and rural communities together to find solutions.

• Fund the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund as a vehicle for addressing the degradation

of Iowa’s water quality (and increasing Iowans’ access to physical activity).

• Assure implementation of Iowa’s Nutrient Reduction Strategy (INRS) and science-based options to prevent

and treat nitrate (and phosphorus) pollution.

• Update Iowa’s Groundwater Protection Act with an emphasis of continued monitoring via

Grants to Counties and surface water monitoring.

• Initiate a funding system that will facilitate wastewater treatment in unsewered communities. Source: Contaminants in drinking water and health effects. Peter Weyer, PhD, Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination at the University of Iowa – Nov. 2016 (available at: www.iowapha.org)

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Iowa Public Health Association

The voice for public health in Iowa

Jeneane Moody, MPH | Executive Director

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For over 90 years, IPHA has been a trusted community of public health professionals and the collective voice for the health of Iowans. IPHA champions health by convening and connecting individuals and organizations as a credible, respected advocate for public health in Iowa and nationally. IPHA was recognized with the American Public Health Association 2015 Affiliate Award for Advocacy, and in 2014 IPHA’s Executive Director received the APHA Council of Affiliates Award for Excellence.

Today’s leading causes of death and illness are largely attributed to behaviors that are powerfully influenced by social and physical environments. Our greatest health challenges are highly complex and often linked to causes and solutions beyond traditional public health (e.g., housing, transportation, education, water and air quality, criminal justice and employment). IPHA urges wise policy and financial investments that value the health of Iowans and seeks partners across sectors to improve health. Healthy kids are better prepared to learn, a healthy workforce is more productive and healthy communities thrive.

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