Water Works hires environmental advocate

Des Moines Water Works has hired Jennifer Terry to fill a new position as environmental advocacy leader for the public utility.

The role will advocate for policies and partnerships focused on managing agricultural pollution that poses a threat to water quality, according to a release Monday from Water Works.

Terry, who was raised on a dairy farm in north central Iowa, previously worked as agricultural policy specialist for the Iowa Environmental Council. She earned a law degree from the University of Iowa in 2013 after a career in the health care industry, according to Water Works officials.

The public utility will pay her an annual salary of $62,302 out of the operations budget, which covers all Des Moines Water Works employees.

“Des Moines Water Works is pleased to welcome Jennifer as she has a proven record for fighting for clean water in Iowa and will specifically advocate for additional funding, accountability and regulation for agriculture,” CEO and General Manager of Water Works Bill Stowe said in a prepared statement Monday.

As of last month, Water Works has designated roughly $700,000 toward legal fees since March, when the utility filed a federal lawsuit challenging the lack of regulations for drainage districts in three northwestern Iowa counties.

Terry’s work with the Iowa Environmental Council focused on increasing transparency and accountability for Iowa’s voluntary nutrient reduction strategy, according to Water Works officials.

She also advocated for common-sense conservation practices on all agricultural land and lobbied for required, sustained funding for water quality monitoring.

“As unregulated agricultural land practices account for 92% of the nitrate pollution in Iowa waterways, a combination of collaboration, regulation and the legal system is proving to be the necessary strategic approach,” Terry said in a prepared statement.

“I’m looking forward to navigating this landscape and focused on real change in Iowa’s current response for the continued deterioration of water quality in this state.”

Terry shared details about her approach to Iowa water quality concerns in a Des Moines Register column published last month.