Results from the Iowa Rural Drinking Water Survey report, which was sponsored by Iowa State's Center for Agricultural and Rural Development and Conservation Learning Group, were featured in the Radio Iowa story "Study finds nitrate issues with private well water in Iowa."
The study documents the drinking water sources, avoidance and testing behaviors, and water quality perceptions of 8,000 rural Iowa households. Some of the key finding of the study are:
• Only 10% of households tested their water quality in the last year.
• Around 50% of households supplement their drinking water with bottled water or water coolers.
• While 70% of households report using water filters, just 10% report having a filter that can remove nitrate.
• Nearly 40% of households believe nitrate is a concern.
• One-third of households are at high risk of nitrate exposure due to a lack of testing, filtering, or bottled water use.
Results from the study were also featured in: