EDITOR’S NOTE: This press release has been updated from a version published on June 30, 2021 to include a recording of the webinar.
AMES, Iowa — The Iowa Learning Farms conservation webinar held on July 7 at 12 p.m. features Ted Corrigan, chief executive officer and general manager, Des Moines Water Works (DMWW). Corrigan has extensive leadership experience in the fields of water quality, engineering and water distribution, is a civil engineering graduate from Iowa State University, a licensed professional engineer, and holds Grade 4 Operator Certifications in Water Distribution and Water Treatment.
In the webinar, “The Increasing Challenge of Producing Safe Drinking Water,” Corrigan discusses the unique situation of DMWW, the largest drinking water utility in Iowa, which relies primarily on the Raccoon and Des Moines Rivers for source water and serves some 500,000 Iowans with clean drinking water. He covers the pressure on water utilities to comply with regulatory requirements while facing increasing nitrate concentrations and the presence of toxic microcystin from harmful algal blooms. He also highlights the collaboration on water quality initiatives to address reductions in pollutants by groups throughout the state.
Corrigan noted that DMWW cannot “engineer its way” out of the challenges it faces from nutrient pollution by continuing to build bigger and more expensive treatment facilities.
“Protecting source water from nitrogen, phosphorus, ammonia and manure—stopping contaminants in the first place before they enter waterways—is the key to ensuring safe drinking water to the Metro region,” he concluded.
Iowa Learning Farms – July 7, 2021 from ISU CALS ONLINE on Vimeo.
About Iowa Learning Farms:
Established in 2004, Iowa Learning Farms is building a Culture of Conservation by encouraging adoption of conservation practices. Farmers, researchers and ILF team members are working together to identify and implement the best management practices that improve water quality and soil health while remaining profitable. Partners of Iowa Learning Farms include the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Iowa Department of Natural Resources, EPA Section 319 Grant Program and GROWMARK, Inc.
— Iowa Learning Farms
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