For 53 years, the city of Des Moines’ zoo has not been billed for the water it uses.

That will change beginning in July if the Des Moines City Council today approves an amendment to its agreement with the Blank Park Zoo Foundation.

A review by Des Moines Water Works shows that during a five-year period beginning in 2013, the zoo used more than $428,000 in water, none of which was paid for, according to a document provided to water works’ board members last year. The zoo’s monthly water usage totals about $8,000, the document shows.

Under the amended agreement with the city, Blank Park Zoo will pay 5% – about $4,800 a year – of its bill for water usage in the fiscal year that begins July 1. The amount will increase by 5-percentage-point increments until it reaches 20% in the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2023. 

It’s not yet known whether the city will pick up the remainder of the zoo’s water tab.

In an email statement, Des Moines City Manager Scott Sanders wrote that “we are currently working through our annual agreements with Des Moines Water Works and this is one of the issues that remains on the table.”

The zoo, located at 7401 S.W. Ninth St., has three exhibits that require a large amount of water: the harbor seal and sea lion pool, the penguin pool, and the Discovery Center aquariums, said Mark Vukovich, the zoo’s CEO.

Continue to learn just how much water the zoo uses. Read more