DES MOINES, Iowa ( IOWA CAPITAL DISPATCH ) - Officials from Des Moines Water Works said Thursday a decision from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency pertaining to water quality did “not align” with the “operational and financial” challenges the utility has faced in providing safe drinking water to Iowans.

EPA previously designated seven river segments, including two connected to Des Moines’ source waters, as impaired segments due to high concentrations of nitrates. The agency rescinded the decision in July following pushback from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources on the decision.

Amy Kahler, the CEO and general manager of Des Moines Water Works, said in a news release the high nitrate levels in the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers are making it “increasingly difficult to t

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