Faculty Publications

Document Type

Report

Keywords

Nitrate contamination; public water supplies; northeast Iowa

First Page

1

Last Page

9

Abstract

Tap water samples were taken from numerous sites in several northeast Iowa communities along the Cedar River to learn what levels of nitrate people are actually drinking over a several-months period in 2026, with the hope of inspiring public conversations, understanding and action. Samples were taken from February to June 2026.  None of the tap water samples violated the current outdated nitrate limit of 10 mg/l set 35 years ago. However, published public health studies in the past 15 years reveal that consuming nitrate in drinking water at levels as low as 5mg/l for a long time can increase the risk of certain birth defects (spina bifida, preterm babies) and certain kinds of cancers (colorectal, thyroid, bladder, and ovarian). In the context of this current knowledge some neighborhoods or whole communities are drinking water with risky levels of nitrate.  A significant portion of Waterloo, the entire cities of Cedar Rapids and Waverly are enduring unhealthy levels of nitrate in their drinking water.  These re-affirm the sobering reality that many Iowans are in fact drinking varying degrees of nitrate-contaminated water.

Original Publication Date

8-2026

Object Description

1 PDF File

Repository

UNI ScholarWorks, Rod Library, University of Northern Iowa

Copyright

©2026 Kamyar Enshayan

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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