The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has taken action on Iowa's 2024 list of impaired waters, identifying water bodies that do not meet the required water quality standards and need pollutant reduction. This is part of a biennial process where states submit reports to the EPA detailing their surface water quality and listing impaired water bodies.

The EPA has partially approved and disapproved Iowa's 2024 Clean Water Act Section 303(d) list. Seven additional water segments have been added for drinking water use concerns, unrelated to aquatic life or recreational uses. Local advisories on these matters remain unchanged.

Among the listed segments, the Iowa River appears twice due to separate impairments for nitrate and nitrate plus nitrite. The EPA's Decision Document offers further details on this review process.

Once a segment is listed as impaired, it necessitates developing a Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL), which outlines the maximum pollutant levels permissible in a body of water, serving as a plan for restoring its quality.

A public comment period will be open from November 13 to December 13, 2024, focusing solely on these seven newly added segments. Following this period, the EPA will respond to comments and adjust its decision if needed.

For more information about impaired waters and TMDLs, resources are available through EPA Region 7's page and other related sites.