Des Moines Water Works

You may have heard about the Infiltration Gallery and wondered: "What exactly is that?"

The Infiltration Gallery has been helping provide drinking water to the Des Moines area for more than 140 years. The new Water Curia art installation - currently under construction in Water Works Park (see photos) - incorporates elements of the gallery into its design.

Built beginning in 1884, the gallery was buried alongside the Raccoon River in Des Moines Water Works Park. River water naturally filters through layers of sand and gravel and enters perforated pipes where it is collected and sent for treatment.

The gallery was the sole source of water for Des Moines until 1948. Today, it stretches 3.5 miles.

Early sections were constructed from white elm wood before crews transitioned to concrete rings. More than 9,000 of them – made on-site and installed largely by men and horsepower – were pieced together. Construction continued through floods, changing river conditions and decades of city growth.

This includes residents and businesses in Alleman, Berwick, Bondurant, Cu***ng, Des Moines, Pleasant Hill, Runnells, Unincorporated Polk County and Windsor Heights.

🚨The Central Iowa Water Works (CIWW) Board of Trustees has initiated Stage 3 of its Water Use Plan, implementing a mandatory lawn watering ban for residential, business, and government customers across the region.

To help manage elevated nitrate concentrations in source waters and ensure adequate treatment capacity, the regional system is utilizing all available resources, including the Nitrate Removal Facility, Maffitt Reservoir, and Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) wells.

Visit: https://ciww.gov for more information on this notice and frequently asked questions.

All drinking water produced by Central Iowa Water Works meets all Safe Drinking Water Standards.

The following communities and agencies are affected by this alert: Ankeny, Clive, Johnston, Norwalk, Polk City, Waukee, Des Moines Water Works, Urbandale Water Utility, West Des Moines Water Works, Warren Water and portions of the Xenia Water District.