Underground with the Sewer Department

Sanitary sewer service provided by the city is essential for maintaining the quality of life that residents of the city expect. Sewer department staff members pride themselves on assisting the community in maintaining the quality of life that residents enjoy. Sewer department staff responds to calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Sanitary sewer systems improve residents’ quality of life by providing a mechanism to remove waste that is generated by the community. Removing the wastewater from the community improves the health and overall appearance of the community.

The community has approximately 90.3 miles of publicly owned sanitary sewer that the sewer department is responsible for maintaining. Tasks completed by the department include jetting sewer main, Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) inspections of the sanitary sewer system, inspecting manholes, repairing manholes, maintaining pumps, repairing damaged sewer main, and various other duties.

The city is also a member of the Wastewater Reclamation Authority (WRA). The WRA is a regional sewer authority that is responsible for the treatment of wastewater that is created in the Des Moines Metropolitan Area. The wastewater that is generated by the city is transmitted to Des Moines to be treated at the Wastewater Reclamation Facility.