Water

Facts and Information 

The City of Polk City Water Treatment Plant is a small water system. Small public water systems are broadly characterized as systems serving 10,000 or fewer customers. Polk City obtains its water from the sand and gravel of the Pennsylvanian aquifer from 3 alluvial wells that pump an average of 425,000 gallons per day. Alluvial wells are drilled or cased wells that are normally designed to obtain water from aquifers in geological settings that offer greater protection from surface water and shallow groundwater. Drilled wells are the most dependable and safe source of drinking water. Polk City's Water Plant has an iron filtration removal system with a iron treatment lagoon and a elevated water storage tank that holds 300,000 gallons of drinking water.

Polk City's water supply obtains another 400,000 gallons per day of its water from Des Moines Water Works. Des Moines Water Works is a consecutive water supply that provides drinking water to one or more downstream supplies.

Polk City's Public Works employees take daily lab samples at the water plant to maintain the health and safety of the community. They are also responsible for any maintenace at the water plant and in the distribution system working on hydrants, water main valves, metering, and curb box repairs. 

Color, Taste and Odor

At times, water can have an unpleasant odor, taste, or appearance. These aesthetic characteristics usually don’t pose a public health threat and, in most cases, they don’t last long. However, a sudden change in the color, taste or odor of your tap water could indicate a public health concern. We don’t recommend that anyone drink water that looks, smells or tastes objectionable. Most people want their water to look, taste, and smell good. The first step in solving an aesthetic water quality problem is to identify whether it originates from your household plumbing or from the water your utility supplies. One way to tell is to ask others in your neighborhood if they have a similar problem. Another is to contact your water utility. Below are typical concerns. If you are on a public water supply and you have any of these problems, or you can’t correct the problem yourself, contact your water utility.

• Colored water:If your water suddenly changes color—no matter what color it becomes—it could indicate a public health concern. Contact your water utility. It’s likely that something disturbed the water flow in the water main, such as a line break, fire fighting, or a plumbing problem which may have allowed unsafe water to enter the line.
• Taste and odor problems:If a taste or odor occurs at every water faucet on the property, the cause is probably the main water supply. If it occurs only in certain faucets, the problem is the fixtures or pipes supplying those specific faucets. If the problem goes away after running the water for a few minutes, the problem is somewhere in your household plumbing system. The best way to reduce taste and odor caused by your plumbing is to run the faucet for several minutes. 

If any of these issues presit contact City Hall at 515-984-6233 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Water Main Breaks

Des Moines Water Works repairs main breaks for the City of Polk City. Polk City Public Works personnel will initally respond to any water in the street calls, then will determine if a break has occured. Public Works will be an on-site aid to help locate the water main,valves, ect. If the emergency allows, Public Works personnel will notify residents of any water outage.Unfortunately the stitation can change without warning and a notice may not be an option. If you the customer, believe there to be a break in your area, call City Hall at 515-984-6223.