"With polluted waterways and rising cancer rates, many Iowa voters will be choosing candidates based on their plans to address the problem."
"The Raccoon River and Des Moines River, which supply drinking water to central Iowa, rank in the top 1 percent of rivers nationwide for nitrate concentration.
A new report, published in March by the Iowa Environmental Council and the Harken Institute, attributes 80 percent of the rivers’ contamination to the agriculture industry, and links nitrate pollution to many negative health outcomes, including cancer. Iowa has the second-highest rate of new cancer cases in the country and is one of only three states where rates are rising.
As the November midterm elections approach, Iowa voters from both parties are frustrated and want change. In February, a Food & Water Action poll found that 82 percent of Iowa voters would be more likely to vote for an elected official who makes clean water a top priority, and 72 percent are more concerned with rising cancer rates than the cost of living.
The poll also found that voters favor reducing pollution from industrial agriculture to protect clean water over limiting regulations on industrial agriculture to protect Iowa’s ag economy."
Leah McBride Mensching reports for Civil Eats July 27, 2026.
SEE ALSO:
"The Quality Of Iowa's Water Is Spilling Into The State's Toss-Up Governor's Race" (NPR)
