More than 100 people attended “Let’s Talk Water”, an event put on by the Marion County Democrats at the Grand Theater in Knoxville. Des Moines Water Works CEO and General Manager Bill Stowe was the featured speaker for a discussion of the water quality crisis in Iowa, and how we can be instrumental in the pursuit of clean water. Stowe talked about record high nitrate levels in Iowa’s Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, which affects Red Rock, and eventually the Gulf of Mexico, creating The Dead Zone. Stowe emphasized that his message is not anti-agriculture, but that there needs to be better regulation of ag practices as they relate to surface runoff and water quality. He adds that agriculture is not the only contributor, however, as soil erosion from construction sites and by-products of pharmaceutical use also contaminate our surface water.