Iowa House passes water quality bill

April 14, 2016

This week the House passed House File 2451 on a 65-33 vote. The bill is intended to address the state’s water quality issues. HF 2451 uses a sales tax on metered water currently generating around $24 million annually into the general fund, converts it to an excise tax. The funding would be dedicated to wastewater and drinking water infrastructure grants for disadvantaged communities, a newly established revolving loan fund for municipalities and landowners, and urban water quality.

Millions in Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure (RIIF) dollars each year – increasing to a proposed $22 million per year by 2022 – will be used to fund new programs in the bill for edge-of-field and in-field infrastructure programs for farmers to implement the nutrient reduction strategy. The bill is now in the Senate, but we expect the Senate to have its own water quality plan. ABI is registered neutral on the bill and continues discussions with legislators on the topic.