Storm Water Best Practices

The rain storm on July 1, 2018 that overwhelmed the storm sewer caused heartache for many Beaverdale residents. It brought our antiquated sewer to the fore front and demanded action by the city. The city is working hard to lay out plans to fix the sewer infrastructure and it is offering programs that subsidizes the cost for property protection devices and a program to help reduce storm water runoff.
The first program offers subsidies to help defray the cost for installing property protection devices such as sump pumps and backwater valves:

The Private Property Protection Program
The Private Property Protection Program will provide a subsidy to property owners within the City of Des Moines who contract with a licensed plumber to redirect one or more of the eligible sources of infiltration and inflow to an outlet other than the sanitary sewer system or to install a backwater valve on the private sewer service to protect against surcharges on the public sewer system.

With this program, the City will make a Private Property Protection Program subsidy reimbursement for 100% of the cost up to $1,500 to the property owners who meet the requirements of the program. The reimbursement for approved work will be by direct payment to the property owner. Qualifying work eligible for funding include:

  • The installation or redirection of a sump pump to discharge flows from foundation drains and area drains to a non-sanitary sewer outlet such as a rain garden, storm sewer, or the ground surface.
  • The disconnection of roof leaders from the sanitary sewer service
  • The installation of backwater valve.

*See the following website for terms of eligibility

https://www.dsm.city/departments/public_works-division/program.php

Additionally, the city NEEDS OUR HELP to reduce storm water run-off that enters the sewer. In order to do this, the city is offering the following program:

Stormwater Best Management Practices
The Stormwater Best Management Practices Program will provide a rebate to property owners who install stormwater best management practices to help to enhance the water quality of the stormwater runoff and/or decrease the amount of stormwater runoff that enters the stormwater drainage system. With this program, the City will make a rebate reimbursement for 50% of the cost up to $2,000 to property owners who meet the requirements of the program. Depending where you live, you may be eligible of up to 100% of the cost up to $4,000. The reimbursement for approved work will be by direct payment to the property owner in the amount of the qualifying work. Qualifying work eligible for funding:

  • Bio-retention cells
  • Rain Gardens
  • Permeable pavement
  • Rain barrels
  • Streambank stabilization
  • Soil Quality Restoration
  • Other similar practices approved by the director

*See the following website for terms of eligibility 

https://www.dsm.city/departments/public_works-division/stormwater_management.php


**CONTACT THE CITY TO VERIFY YOU QUALIFY FOR REIMBURSEMENT