Taxpayers Association of Central Iowa Honors Central Iowa Water Works with 'In The Public Interest' Award

DES MOINES, Iowa (May 21, 2025) — The Taxpayers Association of Central Iowa (TACI) has presented its 2025 “In the Public Interest” award to Central Iowa Water Works (CIWW), the new regional water authority.

“We believe that regional cooperation and efficiency are key to a vibrant central Iowa,” said Art Wittmack, president and CEO of the TACI. “At a time when so many interests are bifurcated, Central Iowa Water Works stands out as an exemplary model of what can be accomplished when entities facing common challenges come together collaboratively to benefit the entire region.”   

Twelve entities representing city governments, water utilities and rural water providers united to form CIWW in 2024 after more than a decade of discussions and negotiations. The founding members now share in the ownership and governance of the region’s drinking water treatment facilities.  Together, they collaborate on planning for future water needs including expansions of existing plants and development of additional treatment facilities based on forecasted growth and water needs of CIWW members.

Jody Smith, chairman of the board, along with Tami Madsen, executive director, accepted the award on behalf of CIWW, which marked its first year of operation in April.

“Better serving the region and public interest has been our objective from the start,” Smith said. “Water is a finite resource, and our very lives depend on it. As part of CIWW, we have joined together to ensure adequate supply, protecting source water and consistently deliver reliable drinking water to the whole region.”

Wittmack credited the CIWW board and a tenacious group of advocates from the three board-directed utilities who kept discussions going after the idea of regionalization had been put on the shelf prior to 2020.

“They had to solve significant differences among (the founders) and they accomplished that by starting with the issues they all agreed on,” Wittmack added. “By changing the perspective and approach, CIWW came to operational fruition and serves the public interest in Central Iowa.”

About Central Iowa Water Works

Central Iowa Water Works (CIWW) is a cooperative regional authority responsible for water system planning, drinking water treatment, and wholesale delivery of drinking water to approximately 600,000 people in Central Iowa.

The 12 founding members of CIWW are Ankeny, Clive, Des Moines Water Works, Grimes, Johnston, Norwalk, Polk City, Urbandale Water Utility, Warren Water District, Waukee, West Des Moines Water Works and Xenia Rural Water District. Des Moines Water Works also represents its seven total service customers, which includes the communities of Pleasant Hill and Windsor Heights.

About Taxpayers Association of Central Iowa

Founded in 1921, the Taxpayers Association of Central Iowa (TACI) is an independent, non-partisan membership organization dedicated to fostering efficient, effective local government in the greater Des Moines area.  The group brings a data-driven, independent perspective to the tax issues facing central Iowans with a focus on moving the region toward a sustainable tax environment. 

Central Iowa Water Works Communications Advisors:

Jamie Buelt, jbuelt@enqstrategies.com or 360-961-0096

Melissa Walker, mwalker@dmww.com or 515-283-8706