H.F. 2687 Section 1. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS. 1 1. Iowa’s groundwater resources are essential for drinking 2 water, agriculture, and economic vitality. 3 2. The Iowa geological survey currently monitors 4 groundwater levels in approximately sixty wells statewide, 5 which is insufficient to represent the diversity of Iowa’s 6 aquifers. 7 3. Installing new dedicated monitoring wells is costly, 8 while many existing wells owned by businesses or other private 9 entities could provide valuable data if retrofitted with modern 10 monitoring equipment. 11 4. Retrofitting existing wells offers a safe, 12 cost-effective strategy to expand the monitoring network, 13 improve data for water resource management, and protect public 14 health. 15 5. It is therefore in the interest of the state of Iowa 16 to expand the number of wells from which the Iowa geological 17 survey can monitor groundwater levels through a targeted pilot 18 program. 19 Sec. 2. PURPOSE. The purpose of this Act is to increase 20 the number of wells from which the Iowa geological survey can 21 monitor groundwater levels. Expanding monitoring capacity will 22 provide better statewide data on Iowa’s aquifers, strengthen 23 water management decisions, and protect public health. 24 Sec. 3. PILOT PROGRAM. 25 1. a. There is appropriated from the general fund of the 26 state to the department of natural resources for the fiscal 27 year beginning July 1, 2026, and ending June 30, 2027, the 28 following amount, or so much thereof as is necessary, to be 29 used for the purposes designated: 30 For purposes of establishing and administering a groundwater 31 monitoring expansion program created in this section, including 32 but not limited to procurement of certified monitoring 33 equipment; installation, calibration, and maintenance; 34 telemetry and data integration; program evaluation; and 35 -1- LSB 5169HV (1) 91 sb/js 1/ 5

H.F. 2687 reporting: 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $ 100,000 2 b. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated in 3 this section that remain unencumbered or unobligated at the 4 close of the fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain 5 available for expenditure for the purposes designated until the 6 close of the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2028, and ending 7 June 30, 2029. 8 2. The program shall provide retrofitting for up to one 9 hundred existing wells owned by businesses or other private 10 entities with monitoring equipment under the Iowa groundwater 11 monitoring pilot program. Participation shall be voluntary and 12 require written consent of the property owner. 13 3. The Iowa geological survey shall provide technical 14 guidance to the department of natural resources regarding site 15 selection, installation specifications, and data evaluation. 16 The Iowa geological survey shall prioritize wells that 17 represent a diversity of aquifers and geographic regions to 18 maximize the usefulness of the monitoring data. 19 4. Installations installed pursuant to this section shall 20 meet the following standards: 21 a. Use sanitary well caps and sealed cable entry systems to 22 prevent contamination. 23 b. Be performed by licensed well professionals in 24 compliance with Iowa well construction and public health 25 standards. 26 c. For all monitoring equipment installed in potable 27 wells, be certified for or equivalent to national sanitation 28 foundation/American national standards institute standards 61 29 and 372 to ensure safety for drinking water. 30 5. Monitoring equipment shall, at a minimum, measure 31 static water level and temperature, but submersible pressure 32 transducers or equivalent devices proven for groundwater 33 level monitoring shall be preferred. Telemetry may include 34 long-range wide area network, cellular, or satellite 35 -2- LSB 5169HV (1) 91 sb/js 2/ 5

H.F. 2687 systems as appropriate to site conditions, with emphasis on 1 cost-effectiveness. 2 6. All monitoring data shall be securely transmitted to the 3 Iowa geological survey for aggregation, storage, and analysis 4 and shall be integrated into the Iowa geological survey’s 5 existing groundwater monitoring network. Well owners shall 6 have access to their own monitoring data for water management 7 and planning. 8 7. All costs of installation and equipment shall be covered 9 by the program within the amount appropriated pursuant to 10 subsection 1. 11 8. The department of natural resources, in consultation 12 with the Iowa geological survey, shall submit a report to the 13 general assembly by December 31, 2028, with the following 14 information: 15 a. The number and location of wells retrofitted. 16 b. Data quality and system reliability. 17 c. Cost per installation. 18 d. Recommendations for statewide expansion of groundwater 19 monitoring. 20 9. This section is repealed July 1, 2029. 21 Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act, being deemed of immediate 22 importance, takes effect upon enactment. 23 EXPLANATION 24 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 25 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 26 This bill relates to groundwater monitoring in the state and 27 establishes a pilot program. 28 The bill includes legislative findings recognizing the 29 importance of Iowa’s groundwater resources for drinking water, 30 agriculture, and economic activity. The bill states there are 31 an insufficient number of wells currently monitored by the Iowa 32 geological survey (survey), and that retrofitting existing 33 wells owned by businesses or other private entities with modern 34 monitoring equipment is a cost-effective method to expand the 35 -3- LSB 5169HV (1) 91 sb/js 3/ 5

H.F. 2687 groundwater monitoring network, improve data for water resource 1 management, and protect public health. The bill states it is 2 in the interest of the state of Iowa to expand the number of 3 wells from which the survey may monitor groundwater levels 4 through a pilot program. 5 The bill creates a groundwater monitoring expansion pilot 6 program. The bill appropriates $100,000 from the general 7 fund of the state to the department of natural resources 8 (department) for FY 2026-2027. Moneys appropriated to the 9 department to establish and administer a groundwater monitoring 10 expansion pilot program may be used for the procurement of 11 certified monitoring equipment; installation, calibration, 12 and maintenance; telemetry and data integration; program 13 evaluation; and reporting. The bill provides that any 14 unencumbered or unobligated moneys remaining at the close of 15 the fiscal year shall not revert but shall remain available for 16 expenditure until the close of FY 2028-2029. 17 The bill provides that the pilot program shall retrofit up 18 to 100 existing wells owned by businesses or other private 19 entities with groundwater monitoring equipment. Participation 20 in the program is voluntary and requires the written consent 21 of the property owner. The survey is required to provide 22 technical guidance to the department regarding site selection, 23 installation specifications, and data evaluation. The survey 24 is also required to prioritize wells that represent a diversity 25 of aquifers and geographic regions to maximize the usefulness 26 of the monitoring data. 27 The bill establishes standards for installations and 28 monitoring equipment installed under the pilot program. 29 The bill requires all monitoring data to be securely 30 transmitted to the survey for aggregation, storage, and 31 analysis, and the data to be integrated into the survey’s 32 existing groundwater monitoring network. The bill authorizes 33 well owners to have access to their own monitoring data for 34 purposes of water management and planning. The bill directs 35 -4- LSB 5169HV (1) 91 sb/js 4/ 5

H.F. 2687 all costs of installation and equipment under the pilot program 1 to be covered within the amount appropriated for the program. 2 The bill requires the department, in consultation with the 3 survey, to submit a report to the general assembly by December 4 31, 2028. The report must include the number and location of 5 wells retrofitted, an assessment of data quality and system 6 reliability, the cost per installation, and recommendations for 7 the potential statewide expansion of groundwater monitoring. 8 The program is repealed July 1, 2029. 9 The bill takes effect upon enactment. 10 -5- LSB 5169HV (1) 91 sb/js 5/ 5