WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — West Des Moines Water Works is expanding its water storage, with the construction of a new aquifer and recovery well. WDMWW says the new aquifer will serve as another tool in the tool box when it comes to keeping up the water supply during times of high demand.

WDMWW says that aquifers are a unique concept where treated water is injected into the storage well during off peak months, during the winter, creating a storage bubble underground, which then allows for the water to be recovered during peak months of water usage and demand during the summer.

Drilling for the aquifer started last September and finished in February of this year, allowing West Des Moines to even out water production across the year, helping with central Iowa’s ability to treat nitrates.

“So again, an ASR is one tool, one way we can reduce that demand during the off peak months, the water plants production facilities are actually producing more water than they need because this water is going down into the Jordan Aquifer. But in the summer it pays us back by being able to keep production down at these facilities, and that’s the key for the situation we’re in,” said Lyle Hammes, the Superintendent of WDMWW.

Once construction is complete on the control buildings at the end of 2025, the aquifer will store 300 million gallons of water.

“For this particular aquifer storage recovery. Well, or as our I’ll refer to it, as we can recover at a rate of about 3 million gallons a day, which is significant. Peak demand for West Des Moines is so far this year. In mid-June it was about 12 and a half million gallons per day. So when this is up and running, that’ll be a big, big portion of it,” said Hammes.

WDMWW says that the aquifer cost $12.3 million, and was paid for by Microsoft.

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