Water Pollution

With passage of the 1987 Groundwater Protection Act (House File 631), Iowa articulated a comprehensive policy regarding groundwater contamination. The Act established a scheme to raise revenue in three ways: pesticide manufacturing registration fees, pesticide dealer licensing fees, and fertilizer taxes. Among other provisions, retailers of nitrogen-based fertilizers must pay an additional $.75 per ton sold based on an 82 percent solution and prorated for different solutions. More

This 1989 law prohibited the use of once-through water systems in the Twin Cities after 2010, and immediately raised the price of using once-through water 200-fold for commercial users and 50-fold for non-profits and schools. The Act, administered by the Division of Waters of the Department of Natural Resources, requires that a conversion plan be submitted by users by Jan 1992. The once-through systems must be converted within the design life of the equipment based on the ASHRAE service life for primary system components. More