Update: this bill did not pass through the funnel on February 16, 2024, and is unlikely to move forward this legislative session.

Bill requires utilities to report out-of-state water sales

Over the last few years, Iowans across the state have dealt with drought.  The drought has presented challenges to utilities supplying drinking water, to homeowners using private wells, to farmers, and to industries that use large amounts of water.

The Ocheydan River which was a source of public drinking water has run dry several times.  Significantly lower levels of water are being measured in the Jordan Aquifer.  A lake in Osceola was loosing so much water last summer that the gambling boat was at risk of structural damage that would occur from hitting the bottom of the lake.  Several years ago, an enterprising sand mining operation wanted to sell water from the Jordan Aquifer to states out west.  The ethanol plants planning to connect to the carbon dioxide pipelines are expected to withdraw huge quantities of water that will be used in compressing the carbon dioxide into a supercritical state.

While Iowans are concerned about water quantity, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has no idea how much water is sold to out-of-state customers by water utilities nor does it know how much water is brought into Iowa from out-of-state water utilities.  It only makes sense that the DNR track water quantity, water shipped out of the state, and water brought into the state.

What you can do

The Senate is considering a bill – SF530 – that would require water utilities to report annually to the DNR how much water they withdrew in Iowa and then sold to out-of-state customers.  The bill has already been passed by a Senate Natural Resources subcommittee and will be considered by the full committee.  Ask the Senate Natural Resources committee members to support SF530.  Their email addresses are:

annette.sweeney@legis.iowa.gov , tom.shipley@legis.iowa.gov , izaah.knox@legis.iowa.gov ,  liz.bennett@legis.iowa.gov , claire.celsi@legis.iowa.gov , chris.cournoyer@legis.iowa.gov , rocky.dewitt@legis.iowa.gov , dawn.driscoll@legis.iowa.gov , lynn.evans@legis.iowa.gov , jesse.green@legis.iowa.gov , ken.rozenboom@legis.iowa.gov , sarah.trone.garriott@legis.iowa.gov , dan.zumbach@legis.iowa.gov