ACTION ALERT: Tell State Legislators to Restore Iowa's Water Sensor Funding!
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
Iowa ranks #2 in the U.S. for cancer and is one of two states where cancer cases are rising. Iowa also has some of the nation’s highest concentration of nitrates in our water.
Drinking water laden with high nitrate levels is linked to several cancers. We need to know what’s in our water. This is a matter of public health.
Recent scientific studies have found that increased nitrate levels in drinking water are directly linked to colorectal, thyroid, ovarian, kidney, and bladder cancers.
In 2017, a nationwide study in Denmark found significant increases in colorectal cancer at nitrate levels even as low as 3.76 mg/L.
Another study in Spain and Italy found increases in colorectal cancer at 2.3 mg/L of nitrate in the drinking water.
Currently, many Iowa’s rivers and streams have nitrate levels that are higher than 10 ppm and up to 35 ppm!
This state-of-the art system provides continuous, real-time nitrate monitoring throughout Iowa. Small municipal rural systems rely on this network for advance warnings of high nitrate levels to keep Iowans safe.
The IIHR water sensor network will go dark on June 30 unless legislators appropriate money to keep it going. The money is there. $1 million annually from the Groundwater Protection Fund would keep the network operating and expand it to track for additional toxins. A one-time allocation of $500,000 would replace aging equipment.
This boils down to only 32¢/person per year. We Iowans and our children are certainly worth at least 32¢ a year!
Time is running out. Send this letter today to tell your legislators your health and well-being are worth 32¢!
Thank you for all you do!
Photo: Khosro/Shutterstock.com
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