Iowa Utility Moves Ahead With Suit Challenging Agricultural Discharges

An Iowa drinking water utility is moving ahead with novel litigation aimed at imposing Clean Water Act (CWA) permitting requirements on several agricultural drainage districts, an effort that if successful could narrow the water law's agricultural stormwater exemption. The Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) announced plans in January to sue more than a dozen drainage districts, saying that voluntary efforts to reduce nitrate pollution were unsuccessful and were leading to increased water treatment costs. In a March 16 complaint filed...