Recently we came across a situation in Iowa where a large company (Tyson Fresh Meats) has come under fire for allegedly violating several regulations governing the content of their wastewater discharge into the environment.
A group called Environment Iowa said Wednesday that it’s concerned about the water quality of all Iowa rivers, especially the Raccoon River. The Raccoon is a major source of drinking water for a good portion of Iowa, including the Des Moines metro area. The group said a fifth of Iowa’s population uses water from the river.
Upstream in Perry, the group accuses Tyson Fresh Meats of being a major polluter of the river. The group said data from the Environmental Protection Agency‘s latest toxic release inventory backs up its claims.
“These are the chemicals such as lead, copper, mercury, dioxin; when dumped into our waterways, these chemicals contaminate drinking water, make places unsafe to swim or fish, and get absorbed by fish, which people eventually eat,” said Eric Nost, of Environment Iowa.
In an e-mailed statement, a Tyson corporate spokesman told KCCI, “The claims by this group against our company are misleading. Our Iowa plants, including the one at Perry, are complying with the state permits that regulate their wastewater treatment systems and they release wastewater into streams and rivers only after it has been fully treated in accordance with the requirements of those permits.”
The group claims that water and the chemicals in it flow from Perry downstream to Des Moines and into Des Moines Water Works intakes. ( source )
We don’t know whether or not the Tyson Fresh Meats has violated any laws and we will not speculate one way or the other. We will, however, recommend that any well owner living in that area, or ANY area for that matter, have their water tested by a certified water testing laboratory.
We also suggest that well owners conduct periodic tests on their well water after heavy rains, after long periods without rain, and pretty much any other time nature or other outside factors (i.e. manmade influences) may have affected the aquifer from which your well draws its water.
 eXact Micro 7+ Water Testing Meter |
 Well Drillers Standard Water Test Kit |
 Arsenic Quick Water Test Kit |
