Grinnell College student Caden Branum is gaining experience and hands-on skills as a summer employee at IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering

Iowans concerned about contaminants in the environment have a new source for accurate, science-based information — the Iowa Integrated Network for Science, Information, and Geospatial Health Tracking (Iowa INSIGHT). Launched on July 1, Iowa INSIGHT is off to a running start.

Iowa farmers and residents can better prepare for severe weather because of a $500,000 federal grant that will enable the University of Iowa’s Iowa Flood Center to install water and soil monitoring systems in 18 counties, said U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has backed off its re-assessment of cancer-causing nitrates despite decades of research suggesting the contaminant is more harmful than previously thought and that nitrate pollution is at crisis levels in US drinking water.

Amidst three years of record-setting levels of nitrates in Iowa’s water, the University of Iowa and several cities throughout the state are working on a new artificial intelligence model to predict nitrate levels. This NASA-funded project began in June and will develop the model for public use over a three-year period. The university and municipal partners, including Cedar Rapids, Des Moines and Iowa City, are currently training the AI with 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, Director of IIHR-Hydroscience and Engineering 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.

While nitrate levels are stabilizing across central Iowa for now, a new effort at IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering at the University of Iowa is underway to both detect and forecast nitrate levels along Iowa waterways.

The Linn County Board of Conservation has directed $100,000 toward equipment for IIHR’s statewide water quality monitoring program as part of a broader allocation of bond dollars.