Iowa’s second-highest cancer rate in the nation has made scientific water quality data more important than ever. The Iowa Legislature diverted funds for the Iowa Water Quality Information System in 2023. While county governments and other groups have helped fund the system the last few years, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering Director Larry Weber is asking lawmakers to reappropriate funds before the end of this year’s session.

Iowa’s real-time nitrate water sensor network is in danger of losing funding on June 30, 2026. But Iowa state legislators have the power to restore its funding this session.

On April 7, the University of Iowa presented Larry Weber with its most prestigious honor, the Hancher-Finkbine Medallion.

Iowa has some of the nation’s most polluted water. It’s one of only three states where cancer rates are rising, ranking second in the nation for total cancer incidence. Not coincidentally, it’s also ground zero for industrial agriculture in America.

Greg LeFevre, University of Iowa associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, has won the Iowa Mid-Career Faculty Scholar Award for 2026.

The Office of the Vice President for Research recognized 10 faculty and staff members with 2026 Discovery and Innovation Awards, a longstanding program celebrating excellence in research, scholarship, creative activity, public engagement, and research support across the university.

In 2023, the Iowa Legislature eliminated funding for the network of river and stream sensors that provide real-time data on how much nitrate is infiltrating our waterways. An effort to reinstate the funding is underway now, as the fiscal 2027 budget is taking shape.

Sahar El Abbadi, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering and IIHR research engineer, studies the greenhouse gases produced by wastewater treatment lagoons.

Illinois has the most lead pipes in the country, with 667,000 known lead service lines and another 820,000 suspected lines. State officials estimate replacing them could cost between $6 billion and $10 billion. Many of these pipes carry drinking water to homes and businesses and may contain lead, a neurotoxin linked to cognitive, reproductive, and cardiovascular problems.

The UI announced in a news release that Get the Lead Out, a statewide initiative that tests private wells and provides testing kits for free for Iowans to check their water, received a $124,353 grant from the trust to increase staff and supplies.