Absent Regulation, Farmers Dabble In Voluntary Measures To Curb Harmful Runoff

River water flows over rocks, surrounded by green foliage.

How Are Nitrates Ending Up In Drinking Water Supplies?

Luke Runyon

Contaminated drinking water isn鈥檛 just a problem for Flint, Michigan. Many towns and cities across the Midwest and Great Plains face pollution seeping鈥�

Environment

Nitrates Are A Costly, Persistent Problem For Small Towns

Grant Gerlock

Earlier this year, Des Moines, Iowa, made news when the city announced it would sue farmers in a legal battle over fertilizer. The city鈥檚 water supply鈥�

A cereal rye cover crop grows (at left) in a field where corn was recently harvested. Cover crops can capture nutrients such as nitrate and prevent them from polluting nearby streams.

NPR 暗黑爆料

Here's How To End Iowa's Great Nitrate Fight

Dan Charles

Des Moines, Iowa, wants to control nitrate pollution 鈥� often called fertilizer runoff 鈥� in nearby rivers. But the best way to reduce it involves planting different crops, not using less fertilizer.