Nitrates and other forms of nutrient pollution from agricultural applications are contaminating aquifers and federal intervention is needed to protect drinking water supplies, wrote a coalition of 23 groups from five states to Environmental Protection Agency official Bruno Pigott. The threat is particularly clear in places like Iowa, where Des Moines Water Works operates one of the largest nitrate-removal facilities in the world on an as-needed basis and has had to keep it going for two months in a row to combat elevated levels of nitrates. "The Clean Water Act is very good at reducing pollution from point sources, but for non-point sources, like row crop agriculture, the Clean Water Act has proven not to be a sufficient tool," said Michael Schmidt, a staff attorney at the Iowa Environmental Council.
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Ag Pollution Is Keeping Des Moines Water Works Busy. Can It Keep Up? - Inside Climate News