DES MOINES—Iowa’s public water systems deliver ample clean water, according to the 2020 Annual Drinking water Compliance Report.

Over the last 10 years, Iowa public drinking water facilities have increasingly complied with all health-based standards for water we drink. In 2020, 96.8 percent of public water supplies and a vast majority of people served by these facilities (98.9 percent) received drinking water that complied with state and national standards.  

Despite the challenges of COVID-19 last year, Iowa’s 1,848 public water systems produced safe drinking water for 98.9 percent of Iowans. In fact, the number of systems meeting all health-based standards was the highest in 25 years, since 1996. Both the percentage of systems (96.8 percent) and the percentage of population receiving drinking water compliant with all health-based standards were the highest achieved in the past 10 years.

Most systems (83.8 percent) met all major monitoring and reporting requirements, the best since 2014. Most important: last year, there were no disease outbreaks or deaths attributed to drinking water from an active public water supply.

Like a statewide report card, the annual compliance report measures how well nearly 1,900 public water supplies meet national standards. DNR gathers information from each public water supply to prepare the report, and then submits it to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The report includes maps of the public water supplies, and locations of systems that had violations of health-based standards, or major monitoring or reporting requirements.

People who want more information about their drinking water can ask their public water source for a Consumer Confidence Report. Public water sources must compile the reports, informing their customers and submitting the reports to DNR annually. The reports include any violation of standards for contaminants or reporting requirements.

Des Moines – The Iowa Department of Education today announced the Build Iowa’s Future Design Challenge, an opportunity for K-12 students to create innovative projects, connect them to careers and compete for up to $1,000 awards for their schools.

The Iowa Clearinghouse for Work-Based Learning and the Home Builders Association of Iowa (HBA of Iowa) are hosting the challenge to engage more students in authentic professional experiences that transform education for the workforce. The Iowa Association of Community College Trustees, Kreg Tool Company and Pella Corporation are sponsoring the challenge awards. The challenge is in keeping with the Future Ready Iowa goal of 70 percent of the workforce having education or training beyond high school by 2025.

“The Build Iowa’s Future Design Challenge will help students see how subjects like math and science can be applied in the real world while cultivating creativity, problem-solving and other critical skills,” said Iowa Department of Education Director Ann Lebo. “Through work-based learning opportunities, students see the connection between the classroom and the workplace where they can explore and prepare for careers that fit them. The challenge is available to all students in rural and urban communities across Iowa, and I’m excited to see the projects they produce.”

“With approximately 7.5 million construction jobs projected nationwide by 2026, and ongoing industry expansion, we want students to explore those opportunities for great-paying jobs. This project makes that introduction in a creative way,” said HBA of Iowa Executive Officer Jay Iverson. “Our members are excited to see what students are able to come up with.”

Elementary and middle school students can participate in the Iowa Home Design Challenge by constructing a model home using toy plastic construction bricks, wood blocks or other materials of their choice. High school students can participate in the Iowa Dream and Design Challenge, which involves conceptualizing and designing a project that could improve their community, such as a school athletic storage facility, a ramp for a disabled person’s home or a prairie birdhouse. Students will seek feedback about the project’s feasibility from people who would be impacted, but students will not actually build the project.

Teachers are invited to submit a form letter of intent to participate on the Clearinghouse website by Sept. 29, 2021. Submission of the form letter by the deadline is required. On May 4, 2022, three awards – $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place and $300 for third place – will be made to schools in each of the K-5, 6-8 and 9-12 grade bands for projects scored and selected by reviewers. Outstanding designs may be shared on Clearinghouse and HBA of Iowa websites and through other publications and events. Learn more about the design challenge at: https://clearinghouse.futurereadyiowa.gov/challenge.