Nutrient Demand M ost people are concerned with the quality of their environment. We drink water. We use water for recreational and agricultural purposes. We clean with water.
Water is a major requirement for, and a primary component of, all living things.
Limits on allowed concentrations of nutrients, solids, and quantity of materials which possess a potential for oxygen depletion are used to evaluate, classify, and monitor the water quality of streams, lakes, and other surface waters throughout Iowa. Analysis of the more commonly used indicators are performed by the Nutrient Demand Section. Analytical data for these parameters is used not only to monitor water quality but also to evaluate their potential impact on surface waters caused by the addition of more of the materials to the streams or lakes from both point source wastewater discharges and non-point source runoff. The annual proficiency testing helps identify problems operators may have in performing the daily testing and allows the IDPH to more accurately evaluate data submitted by the water supplies.