The Des Moines County Board of Supervisors will not pledge financial support to the ongoing legal battle between Des Moines Water Works and Calhoun, Sac, and Buena Vista Counties over nitrate runoff, at least, not yet.
The board met with members of the Two Rivers Drainage District board during a Tuesday morning work session. Members of the Drainage District told the supervisors that the lawsuit has wide ranging implications, and that the board should keep a close eye on ongoing developments in the case. Scott Power is a lawyer who works with the district.
“It’s a federal court suit that will affect every farm in the State of Iowa,” Power said.
Des Moines Water Works filed the suit in February, alleging that nitrate runoff from farms in those counties were polluting the Raccoon River with increased nitrate levels. The lawsuit has statewide implications for farmers, drainage districts, and County Boards of Supervisors alike, threatening a costly regulatory burden on those counties and farmers.
