This summer Des Moines residents couldn't water their lawns — not because of drought, but due to nitrate pollution. Now, the very system that monitors Iowa's water quality faces a shutdown. Host Ben Kieffer speaks with director of IIHR Hydroscience and Engineering Larry Weber about the implications if we no longer track water quality and the effort to fund the network of 60 sensors across the state.

A plan for $600,000 in necessary funding to maintain a University of Iowa water monitoring system vital for tracking nitrate, dissolved oxygen, and pH rates in streams across the state is set to be discussed in a meeting Friday between Johnson County and Polk County officials.

Sixteen scientists compiled 50 years of data on the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, two of the largest sources of drinking water for Des Moines and Polk County. The study found that pollutants have increased by nearly 100 percent in the last 50 years, and researchers say not enough is being done to address the issue.

CEDAR RAPIDS — In a meeting with Linn County officials Monday, Larry Weber — who oversees a program that deploys dozens of sensors in rivers and streams across Iowa — said the quality of the state’s water is not improving, and that monitoring of the water must continue.

The annual awards from the College of Engineering and the University of Iowa recognize excellence in faculty and staff members, as well as longevity awards recognizing years of service to the College of Engineering. A ceremony was held on October 22, 2025, to recognize the recipients.

Kristin Stein, an undergraduate student in civil and environmental engineering, has been named the 2025 Student of the Year by the American Water Works Association!

Polk County is stepping up to support a crucial water quality monitoring program in Iowa after state funding was cut. IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, is a program that tracks nitrate levels in Iowa's waterways, and is now receiving one-third of its necessary funding from the county.

How well does the short-term precipitation forecast support the National real-time streamflow forecasting system? This study, published in the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society and led by researchers at IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering and the Iowa Flood Center, addresses that question.

All that feed corn and all those soybeans—and those nearly 25 million hogs—produce a lot of nitrate. It’s making Iowans sick and causing them to die. And the politicians aren’t doing a thing about it.

In an effort to keep an Iowa water quality sensor program afloat past next June, Polk County Supervisors voted this week to invest funds in it, and they invited Linn and Johnson counties to do the same.