Lawsuit alleges willful pollution of waterways

David Wollenzien found few surprises in the 52-page lawsuit Des Moines Water Works filed in federal District Court last week.
“We had an idea they were going to ask us to become point source permitted,” said Wollenzien, an attorney who represents Calhoun County in drainage matters.
The lawsuit asks a federal judge to declare water discharging from drainage tiles a point source of pollution and to require drainage districts to get permits to continue to operate.
The county’s Board of Supervisors, along with supervisors in Buena Vista and Sac counties, have also hired Belin McCormick, a Des Moines firm, to represent all three boards in the lawsuit proceedings. Charles Becker, an attorney with that firm, tried to dissuade the Water Works Board of Trustees from proceeding with the lawsuit, in a March 5 letter shared with The Graphic-Advocate March 17.
Read more in the March 25 edition.