During the summer, the Iowa City community had a lower overall need for water treatment than Des Moines, despite both the city and the state capital grappling with high nitrate levels in the Des Moines, Raccoon, and Iowa Rivers.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources detected elevated levels of nitrates in river water, posing problems for the 600,000 people using central Iowa water, according to Central Iowa Water Works.
Nitrates are naturally occurring chemical compounds present in air, soil, and water, which in large quantities can pose threats to health like thyroid issues and cancers, according to the Iowa Environmental Council…