Water plays a crucial role in your health and safety, and Des Moines Water Works (DMWW) plays a key role in providing you with a safe, clean, and reliable water supply. We take pride in providing quality drinking water because they know that it is one of the most successful means of preventing disease in society. Every employee at Des Moines Water Works contributes to the quality of life for the citizens of Des Moines and surrounding communities. DMWW is an independently owned and operated public utility providing drinking water to a metro population of nearly 600,000. The utility was originally formed as a private water company in 1871 and subsequently formed as a public utility in 1919. Today, it is the largest water utility in Iowa. DMWW is also among the 50 largest utilities in the country and is recognized as an industry leader. In 2008, it was named the best city for clean drinking water in the US by Forbes.com.