DES MOINES – Iowa officials are proposing new rules that would prevent people from using food stamps to pay deposits on water jugs.

Officials with the Iowa Department of Human Services say they have asked the federal government to consider the changes.

A spokesman for the state agency said, under the new restrictions, people could still use food stamps to buy the water, but they would have to pay the deposit themselves.

Spokesman Roger Munns says some people have used food stamps to pay for 5-gallon jugs of water and the deposit on the containers, dumping out the water in the parking lot and returning the jug for a cash refund. He says they then use the money for items not allowed under the food stamp program.

Iowa has forwarded its idea to the national headquarters of the food stamp program. The federal officials will decide whether to adopt the proposal.

Anjali Budhiraja, a spokeswoman for the Food and Nutrition Service, confirmed the agency received the letter.

Making the change would not need congressional action, she said.