Water Production
Who is Water Production?
Water Production is the heart of our business. This is where water is treated and made safe for drinking. Water Production is made up of four functions; Operations, Maintenance, Laboratory, and Vehicle/Facility Maintenance.
- Operations and Maintenance are responsible for two (soon to be three) water treatment plants that produce potable water to the City of Des Moines and its surrounding areas. In addition to the treatment plants, Operations and Maintenance is also responsible for operating and maintaining numerous remote pumping and storage facilities that allow finished water to be distributed further from the treatment locations.
- The laboratory functions extend beyond the baseline compliance work that is required for the treatment plant and distribution system operations. The laboratory pursues research efforts involving treatment options, microbiology, emerging contaminants, and water-shed investigations and improvements.
- Vehicle/Facility Maintenance takes care of all of our vehicles and buildings. Vehicle Maintenance repairs and maintains all vehicles and equipment ranging from lawn mowers, to backhoes, to dump trucks. Facility Maintenance cleans and maintains all of DMWW’s buildings. This would include everything to changing light bulbs, to fixing plumbing issues, to painting.
The Water Production Team:
A number of relationships, amongst the 57-person strong team, determine the overall success of the department. Operations and laboratory personnel exchange information several times per week to ensure effective treatment is occurring with plant processes and that the most economical source water decisions are being made. The maintenance and operations personnel are exchanging information multiple times per day to ensure necessary treatment and pumping equipment is being maintained and is available to meet the daily water demand of the customers.
What it’s Like to Work in Water Production at DMWW:
24/7 and 365 are key numbers impacting the Water Production Department as it serves a large “operational” function for the Des Moines Water Works. Operations personnel are physically staged at the Fleur Drive Operations Center 24 hours per day and 365 days per year. Maintenance and laboratory personnel perform assigned shifts during the week. Maintenance personnel also serve on-call rotations to address any after-hour needs of the department. At any given time throughout the year, there are three maintenance personnel in an on-call status. Facility/Vehicle Maintenance personnel work a designated shift during the work week.
Are you Eager for a Career in Water Production at DMWW?
Each section of the department (Operations, Maintenance, Laboratory or Vehicle/Facility Maintenance) contains jobs that have a range of educational requirements. A quality high-school education can allow someone to enter the department, but additional education (specialized training, associates degree, bachelors degree, and beyond) will ultimately be required to advance or be placed into the remaining positions within the department.
Regardless of the job title or duty, the typical Water Production employee needs to have a mindset and an attitude that their daily efforts contribute to the quality of life for all citizens within the Des Moines metropolitan area. Moral and legal responsibilities govern our steps each day as we provide an uninterrupted source of high-quality potable water at an economical price to our customers.
Job Descriptions
Auto Body Technician
Auto-Equipment Mechanic
Automotive Service Worker
Building Maintenance Utility Worker
Chemist
Control Center Operator
Control Systems Specialist
Custodian
Director of Water Production
Laboratory Supervisor
Laboratory Technician
Laborer - Water Production
Lead Mechanic
Maffitt Reservoir Caretaker
Maintenance Mechanic
Microbiologist
Office Assistant - Water Production
Process Control Operator
Process Control Operator - Wastewater
Relief Control Center Operator
Relief Process Control Operator
Senior Chemist
Supervisor of Operations
Supervisor of Vehicle-Facility Maintenance
Superisor of Water Production Maintenance
Tool-Die Maker
Utility Mechanic
Water Production Maintenance Analyst Planner
Welder-Fabricator