Central Iowa Water Works (CIWW) is a newly established drinking water production authority chartered with the state of Iowa on April 11, 2024. The formation of CIWW represents years of discussions and negotiations as well as cooperation and collaboration among metro area water utilities, communities and rural water providers. Together, the 12 founding members of CIWW serve more than 600,000 and distribute nearly 22 billion gallons of water a year.

City of Ankeny City of Clive Des Moines Water Works City of Grimes Johnston City of Norwalk City of Polk City Urbandale Water Utility Warren Rural Water District City of Waukee West Des Moines Water Works Xenia Rural Water

The founding entities of CIWW face many of the same challenges when it comes to drinking water supply, the need for more treatment capacity, water quality and regulatory concerns. The CIWW model, based on mutual investment from each founding member, provides shared governance and transparency, as well as resiliency and redundancy in the metro area water system during times of natural disaster and drought.

1. Regional collaboration provides the best management of water resources, now and into the future. CIWW facilitates cooperation among the individual partner utilities and communities. This shared ownership concept creates quality water service that ensures all customers’ safe drinking water needs are met throughout the region. 2. CIWW creates the fairest and most equitable sharing of costs for the region. Members will collaborate on decisions to expand and build treatment plants, secure water resources and plan regionally for treatment and production to avoid costly, unneeded duplication of infrastructure. 3. Joining together establishes a resilient system that assures water access and supply. A metro-wide system connects all facilities to serve members and their communities and creates resiliency to safeguard water supplies against natural disasters and other threats. 4. CIWW members retain local control, while having a say in regional water production. In addition to having a seat on the CIWW governing board, each founding member continues to own and operate its respective distribution system (mains, towers, pumping stations), set water rates and perform administrative functions such as billing and customer service. 5. CIWW will be a unified, engaged voice in maintaining and improving source water quality. CIWW founding members can advocate more strongly together for restoring and protecting our rivers, lakes and streams.