It’s a known fact that Iowa has always had pesticides and over time our water has become polluted, but nothing holds a candle to the recent discovery of Iowa water actively speeding up cancer, in even the healthiest individuals. 

According to a study from the Iowa Cancer Registry, over the past few years, there has been an increasing amount of pesticides that have been seeping into our waterways, not only local but private wells, which are seen very commonly in country houses and farms where the crops are most impactful. This has been an ongoing issue that has not been properly addressed until this past year. 

“While the AHS has identified several pesticides and other environmental exposures that were associated with a higher risk of cancer among highly exposed farmers, lifestyle factors such smoking cessation, healthy eating, and physical activity remain important for cancer prevention. More research is needed to understand how environmental exposures contribute to cancer risk,” the study reports.  

More and more individuals are getting diagnosed with cancer, although we can conclude there are greater usage of vape and alcohol consumption in young adults and middle aged adults, which can quicken cancer effects and lower immune health, even healthy individuals are getting diagnosed with cancer today. 

According to Annual report finds, The 2026 Iowan cancer report has estimated 21,700 Iowans, 500 more from the previous year’s estimate, will be diagnosed with cancer this year. Prostate, breast, and lung cancers are estimated to make up more than 40% of these new diagnoses. It is also estimated that 6,400 Iowans will die of cancer this year, 100 more from last year’s report. Nearly a quarter of all deaths are expected to be from lung cancer.

Alongside prevention exams for cancer; lung, breast, colon, etc, to help stop cancer before it is a problem, there are affordable options today to help prevent drinking local and well water: 

Water filter

This option, which can be easily attached to your households kitchen sink nozzle, aims to remove harmful contaminants. Many of these systems can filter out lead and heavy metals, pesticides, volatile organic compounds which are found in paints, varnishes, and cleaning agents, polyfluoroalkyl substances which are synthetic chemicals, microplastics, and microorganisms. 

These filtering systems reduce reliance on bottled water, cutting down on plastic waste and ongoing purchase costs. These systems are affordable compared to whole-house filtration and can be installed by homeowners or plumbers.

Standing purified water system

This option is available at most grocery stores, being able to trade in your jugs and get refilled jugs back with purified water. The initial setup for this option may cost more than buying bottled water, a standing jug system reduces ongoing purchase cost. 

According to Jug Filter, using these reusable jugs instead of single use plastic bottles will significantly cut down on plastic waste. A singular 5‑gallon jug can replace around 1,500 small bottles each year. This option takes up minimal space, the water stand fits in kitchens, in corners, or against walls. The water stand is easy to use, fast, and convenient. Other filtering systems may be slow to filter or have minimal water usage at a time.

This ongoing pollution in local and well water is affecting not just you as an individual, but it may even affect your pets as well. 

Nitrate toxicity or nitrate poisoning, results from ingestion of contaminated water or food. The common sources are from well water contaminated by fertilizers or septic systems, certain vegetables, and processed meats preserved with nitrates. Nitrates are present in some industrial products like fertilizers and explosives. Nitrate toxicity in animals is looked over, since most dogs already go around eating nasty things outside, why should their drinking water matter beyond freshness? 

A lot of us in Iowa live in the countryside, where animals have access to river or pond water, which is convenient for outside animals, but when inside, your animals are still getting nitrate in their water, or even mixed in with their food depending on your animals diets. 

Nitrate symptoms in pets may include vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, labored breathing, difficulty breathing, cyanosis (blue or brown gums/tongue), or in severe cases: collapse and sudden death without prior warning.

As a pet owner, there are a few measures you can take to check your pets’ nitrate intake; 

You can test your pet’s water, if it comes from a well or local source; Avoid using contaminated water for drinking or preparing food for pets; If nitrate levels are high, try switching to water filters or standing water tanks; Keep pets away from areas with fertilizer and manure runoff, which would contaminate the water.