Water
Water plays a key role in a community’s health and safety. Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) plays a key role in providing a safe, reliable and cost-effective water supply. DMWW is an independently operated, public utility providing drinking water to over 500,000 people in central Iowa, either directly or by supplying water on a wholesale basis to most communities in the Greater Des Moines Metro area. DMWW operates three treatment plants with a combined reliable capacity of 110 million gallon per day (mgd). The average day demand is 46 mgd with a peak day demand of 96 mgd. DMWW has exceptional source water redundancy with the ability to draw water from both the Raccoon and Des Moines Rivers, in addition to a series of eight radial collector wells, and a groundwater supply along the Raccoon River in Water Works Park.
The utility also has off-river storage at Maffitt Reservoir that provides greater source reliability during high nitrate and river flooding periods. In case of drought, DMWW has access to 5.0 billion gallons of water stored in Saylorville Reservoir, which is nearly 30 percent of what is used in a year. Additionally, DMWW has developed a series of Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wells to serve the metro area, and plans to have additional ASR wells by 2020 with a total capacity of 15 mgd and water storage capacity of 1.5 billion gallons to offset peaking water use during traditionally high consumption periods on hot summer days or for use in the event of emergency water supply needs.
DMWW demonstrates a commitment to proactively planning ahead to ensure all infrastructure is reliably maintained and there is capacity to meet the needs of new industrial/commercial facilities, including leading a regional approach to developing water production facilities.
Communities not receiving water from Des Moines Water Works are served by municipal wells.
Sewage Treatment
The Des Moines Metropolitan Wastewater Reclamation Facility (WRF) is a 50 million gallon per day (mgd) wastewater treatment facility that can treat a peak flow of 200 mgd. More than a state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility, it represents long-term commitment and cooperation by the citizens of central Iowa to protect the state’s natural resources.
In response to new water quality standards, numerous metro cities have joined together as the Wastewater Reclamation Authority (WRA). The WRA owns and operates facilities including interceptor sewers, equalization basins, and lift stations linking the communities and the WRF. Outlying communities operate city-owned water pollution control facilities designed to service a growing population and industrial/commercial base.
Telecommunications
State of the art telecommunications capability is in place throughout the metropolitan area with multiple providers of fiber optic and long-distance services. Des Moines-area businesses find it easy to meet their telecommunications needs in a cost-effective manner
Electric
The Des Moines region offers competitive, stable and reliable electric energy provided by MidAmerican Energy, Alliant Energy, and local municipal utilities. Our electric providers can offer electric rates to industrial customers as low as 4¢ per kilowatt hour. These low electric rates, coupled with our knowledgeable IT workforce, relative safety from natural disaster, and large water supply, are making the area a hotbed for data center locations.
