Apply to Participate for the 2026 Water Academy
The William G. Stowe Water Academy of Central Iowa is designed to help current and emerging leaders in our community learn and appreciate our most important natural resource – the water we depend on for life.
Attendees receive 20 hours of instruction; tour a drinking water treatment plant operated by Des Moines Water Works, as well as the Wastewater Reclamation Facility operated by the city of Des Moines; hands-on demonstrations of conservation practices that improve water quality; team-building through a capstone project devoted to Imagine A Day Without Water; and interact with Des Moines Water Works staff during the five sessions of this program. It is the Academy's goal that participants not only have a better understanding of their local water utility but are also equipped to help lead the discussion on important water issues now and in the future as members of our community and the new William G. Stowe Water Academy Alumni Network.
“You covered a lot of information in a short amount of time. I'm impressed with the program.”
– Katie Rock, Polk Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner; Citizen Water Academy 2018 graduate