February 26, 2019
An Iowa commission has rejected a proposal from two environmental groups to adopt stricter standards for the state’s nearly 160 recreational lakes, saying the effort would be too expensive.
The Iowa Environmental Protection Commission rejected the proposal Tuesday because of the $205 million estimated cost, The Des Moines Register reported.
The cost “per capita would be astronomical,” said Jon Tack, the water quality bureau chief for the state Department of Natural Resources. The improvements would cost almost $42,000 per person in the town Corydon, which has 1,500 residents.
The proposed upgrades to wastewater plants and other facilities would also likely do little to significantly improve water quality, Tack said.
