Des Moines Water Works has been pleased to provide meter reading, billing, payment processing and general customer service to Polk County residents on since 1987. Des Moines Water Works also maintains Polk County’s water distribution system and provides Field Service.
Whenever you have questions regarding your water service, water quality, billing statement, payment options, or any other water-related questions, we encourage you to contact us in one of the following ways:
By Phone: 515-283-8700
By Email: customerservice@dmww.com
In Person: 2201 George Flagg Parkway, Des Moines
Office hours 7:30 am - 5:30 pm, Mon - Fri
Services Billed
Polk County residents are billed for the following services on their DMWW billing statement:
| Service |
Details |
| Water |
Water availability fee and consumption measured in Cubic Feet by water meter. See tables below. |
| Sewer |
Sewer charges are calculated based on consumption measured on the water meter.
Polk County Special Sewer Rate
Per 1,000 cubic feet = $45.48
Per 1,000 gallons = $6.08
Ouside City of Des Moines Sewer Rate
Per 1,000 cubic feet = $62.84 Per 1,000 gallons = $8.40
|
| Recycling |
Polk Co. Curb-it is billed where applicable.
Polk County Curb-it
$3.23 per month
|
Water Availability Fee
The water availability fee is added to every bill along with a water consumption charge. The availability fee varies depending on the meter size in the home or business. The vast majority of Polk Couny households are equipped with 5/8 inch meters. Below is a list of meter sizes along with the respective availability fee.
|
Availability Charges & Meter Sizes
|
| 5/8" |
3/4" |
1" |
1.5" |
2" |
3" |
4" |
6" |
8" |
10" |
| $6.00 |
$7.00 |
$8.00 |
$13.00 |
$19.00 |
$35.00 |
$62.00 |
$62.00 |
$62.00 |
$62.00 |
Water Consumption Rates
Polk County Rate Schedule has three steps. Most residential customers use amounts of water that fall in the Step 1 rate amounts. Commercial businesses that use more water generally fall in Step 2 and Industrial accounts often use enough water to fall into Step 3.
While your DMWW billing statement shows your water consumption in Cubic Feet instead of gallons, we hope you will find the conversions in the chart below to be helpful:
|
Average Daily Consumption
|
Polk County Water Rate |
| Step |
Cubic Feet |
Gallons |
Cubic Feet |
Gallons |
| Step 1:Residential |
0-668.40 cubic feet |
0-5000 gallons |
$36.73 per 1,000 cubic feet |
$4.91 per 1,000 gallons |
| Step 2: |
668.41-2005.21 cubic feet |
5,001-15,000 gallons |
$20.42 per 1,000 cubic feet |
$2.73 per 1,000 gallons |
| Step 3: |
2005.22 or more cubic feet |
15,001 or more gallons |
$15.93 per 1,000 cubic feet |
$2.13 per 1,000 gallons |
Deposit
Customers who are tenants of a property will be charged a $60 deposit equal to the usual cost of 90 days of water service based on an average household consumption of 7,500 gallons per thirty day period. This deposit will be added to the customer's account and will be reflected on the customer's first statement. Deposits are subject to Des Moines Water Works' collection rules, and as such, service may be terminated for non-payment of a deposit. The deposit will be applied to the balance of the account at the date of final service. Any amounts remaining after application of the deposit to the final balance will be refunded to the customer within a reasonable period of time after the customer's final- service date.
Termination and Restoration Fees
A $45 fee will be charged to all accounts when water service is terminated for non-payment. An additional $25 fee will be charged when the customer requests their water be restored outside of the field service hours listed below:
Normal Field Service Hours:
Monday-Friday 7:30 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Saturday 7:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
Penalties and Fees
| Penalty or Fee |
Details |
| Delayed Payment Fee |
5% of past due bill at 30 days (calculated on water and miscellaneous charges of past due bill). |
| Returned Check Policy |
Any check returned due to non-sufficient funds or a closed account will incur a charge as provided by state law. |
| Unauthorized unmetered use of water |
$200.00 |
| Unauthorized use of fire hydrant |
$500.00 |
| Damaged water meter fees |
Varies depending on size of meter and replacement cost. |
Sewer Charges
Polk County customers are charged $45.68 per thousand cubic feet or $6.08 thousand gallons. To calculate your sewer charge; multiply the consumption X’s $45.68.
For Example:
Consumption measured on water meter: 1,100 cubic feet X $45.68 = $50.25.
Irrigation Meters
Secondary or Irrigation meters measure water that does not enter the sanitary sewer system. The property owner does not have to pay sewer charges on water that is used outside for such purposes as irrigation or pool filling purposes.
Polk County maintains a program for acquiring a secondary meter. A form for installation of a secondary meter can be obtained at:
Polk County Planning and Development – Utilities Division:
5885 N.E. 14th St.
Des Moines, IA
Meter information: the secondary meter that is installed must be a Neptune/Schlumberger meter, with an Encoded Register.
Des Moines Water Works: after the plumber has installed the secondary meter, and Polk County has approved the contract, contact Des Moines Water Works to have the meter reading device connected.
Link to Polk County's website.