Water Shut Off List: Does It Exist in Des Moines?

[Shannon McLeod]

I'm a wholesaler here in DM and I tried to call the water company to get a list of properties that have their water shut off. I was told flat out they do not carry that information, but I'm skeptical and don't quite believe it yet. As I understand it, water companies, especially publicly owned ones, DO carry this information. Does anyone from Des Moines know if this list exists or not, and should I keep trying to procure it from the water company?

My reasoning behind wanting this list is to get a good list of vacant properties. 

[Braidon Cottrell]

There are two reasons DMWW is unable to fulfill your request. First, public information requests falling under Chapter 22.2 of Iowa Code pertain to existing information that is considered a public record. A comprehensive list of properties that are delinquent on their water bill does not exist. The law does not compel a public entity such as DMWW to create or compile such information, but only to provide an existing public record if it already exists.

Even if such a list were available, Section 388.9A of Iowa Code states in part, “…public records of a city utility or combined utility system, or a city enterprise or combined city enterprise as defined in section 384.80, which shall not be examined or copied as of right, include private customer information. Except as required pursuant to chapter 476, “private customer information” includes information identifying a specific customer and any record of a customer account, including internet-based customer account information.” The information you have requested relates to specific customers’ accounts, and would therefore, not be subject to the open records law.