Flood of 1993

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Des Moines Water Works was forever changed by the Flood of '93. The product we produce daily became even more important, and our commitment to quality and service became even stronger.

Flooding is a common occurrence in Des Moines , but the Flood of '93 set records. Prior to that year, the highest recorded crest on the Raccoon River was 18 feet and the highest flow rate was 41,200 cubic feet per second (cfs). During the Flood of '93, the Raccoon River crested at 28 feet above normal river stage and had a flow rate of 68,900 cfs.

Dedicated employees, tireless volunteers, and DMWW's commitment to the community we serve allowed us to quickly recover, restore service and rebuild to bring you safe, reliable, high quality water now and in future.

Following the flood, physical changes were made at various Des Moines Water Works facilities:

• The levees surrounding the treatment plant are 6 feet higher than before the flood. 
• Approximately 1/3 of DMWW's employees moved into new quarters following the restoration for the flood offices and buildings.
• Flood gates, to be used when flooding is imminent, were installed at the Fleur Drive plant.
• By far, the biggest change was the building of a second DMWW treatment facility - the Treatment Plant at Maffitt Reservoir. This 25 million gallon per day (mpg) plant incorporates the lessons were learned during the Flood of '93, reducing the likelihood that Des Moines could lose all water service due to a major flood.

The way we conduct business also changed. Communication and interagency cooperation are valuable skills we continue to practice and value. We have also become better conditioned to look for multiple sources of information in problem solving.