A NASA-funded project at the University of Iowa’s IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering is developing artificial intelligence to forecast nitrate levels in untreated drinking water, using years of water records and satellite data.

The 2025 public water system compliance report came out in early July. The state natural resources department and a leading water expert point out the bigger picture on Iowa’s public water systems.

A brief dry period and peaking crop growth are driving a temporary decline in central Iowa’s nitrate concentrations, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering Director Larry Weber told Local 5.

Linn County residents will benefit from improved water quality monitoring thanks to a $100,000 investment from the Linn County Conservation Board. The funding, provided through the voter-approved Linn County Water Quality and Land Legacy bonds, will support the water quality sensor network operated by IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering (IIHR) at the University of Iowa.