Utilities · Des Moines, IA
Des Moines Water Works
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Des Moines Water Works ranks #2,562 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers by total current penalty, with a concerning safety record: 13 violations across 2 inspections.
- $79,257
- OSHA penalties
- 13
- Violations cited
- 2
- OSHA inspections
- #2,562
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Des Moines Water Works in Des Moines, IA has been the subject of 2 OSHA workplace inspections and 13 citations since 2010, according to enforcement records from the U.S. Department of Labor. Total penalties assessed: $79,257. All enforcement data below is sourced from the DOL public enforcement databases at data.dol.gov.
The record in one line
OSHA has inspected Des Moines Water Works 2 times over 1 year - more than twice a year on average. These inspections resulted in 13 violations, averaging 6.5 per inspection - a notably high rate. According to OSHA enforcement records, its total current penalty ranks #2,562 of 99,447 penalized U.S. employers (the top 5% of penalized employers nationally). Of these, 12 were classified as serious - indicating hazards that could cause death or serious harm. Against the Utilities industry average of 3 inspections per employer, this runs moderately below peers (0.8x the sector average) on inspection frequency. For comparison, North Bergen Municipal Utilities Authority in North Bergen, NJ is another utilities employer with 8 OSHA inspections on record and $77,150 in current penalties.
- 6.5
- violations per inspection
- 92.3%
- of violations were serious
- #2,562
- of 99,447 penalized employers
Compliance score
- F OSHA safety compliance: 13 violations across 2 OSHA inspections (6.5 per inspection), vs. national p10 0.0 (best) / p90 5.5 (worst) among 145,626 inspected employers.
Channels are separate federal datasets: a dimension marked not applicable simply has no record in that dataset for this employer, not a good or bad score.
How Des Moines Water Works compares on OSHA penalties
Total current penalty vs the Utilities per-employer average
- Des Moines Water Works
Des Moines Water Works
$79,257 in penalties
- Utilities avg $5,509
Utilities industry average (per employer)
$5,509 in penalties
What this shows Des Moines Water Works runs far above peers (14.4x the sector average) in total OSHA penalties.
Where this penalty ranks nationally
Total current OSHA penalty vs every U.S. employer with a nonzero penalty
$79,257 Bottom 3% least affordable more affordable than 3% of 99,447 U.S. employers with a penalty
Each bar is a $5K-wide band; taller bars hold more U.S. employers with a penalty. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts · 2026
Does more inspection scrutiny mean more findings?
Each dot is one of 21 Utilities employers with an OSHA inspection on record, placed by inspections and violations cited. The highlighted dot is Des Moines Water Works.
Des Moines Water Works in the Utilities enforcement ledger
Utilities sector: Des Moines Water Works is the #44 heaviest OSHA penalty carrier of 866 employers with nonzero fines ($79,257).
How Des Moines Water Works Compares
Des Moines Water Works's 6.50 violations per inspection compares to the Utilities sector average of 6.1 violations per employer.
Against the Utilities industry average of $5,509 per employer, this employer's current OSHA penalty runs far above peers (14.4x the sector average).
Enforcement detail
OSHA Inspection History
Total Inspections
2
First Inspection
2023-01-04
Last Inspection
2024-06-26
Inspection Span
1 yr
Violations / Inspection
6.5
Avg Penalty / Inspection
$39,629
Industry Avg / Inspection
$2,104
What this shows 2 inspections over 1 year, averaging 6.5 violations per visit. That's $39,629 per inspection vs. the Utilities average of $2,104.
Enforcement detail
Violation Breakdown
12
Serious
92.3% of total
0
Willful
0.0% of total
0
Repeat
0.0% of total
1
Other-Than-Serious
7.7% of total
What this shows Serious violations involve hazards that could cause death or serious physical harm. Willful violations indicate intentional or knowing disregard of the law. Repeat violations are for hazards previously cited within the past 5 years.
Enforcement detail
Penalty Analysis
Initial Penalty Assessed
$221,376
Current Penalty Amount
$79,257
Penalty Reduction
64.2%
What this shows Penalties were reduced by $142,119 from the initial assessment of $221,376. Reductions may result from informal settlements, formal contests, or negotiated agreements with OSHA.
Industry Safety Context: Utilities
How Des Moines Water Works compares to the Utilities sector, which has 2,996 employers tracked by PlainWorker.
| Metric | Des Moines Water Works | Industry Avg |
|---|---|---|
| Inspections | 2 | 2.6 |
| Violations | 13 | 6.1 |
| Total Penalty | $79,257 | $5,509 |
| Avg Penalty per Inspection | $39,629 | $2,104 |
Nationwide Utilities peers with similar penalties or inspection counts
Two OSHA-record peer sets for Des Moines Water Works, both outside IA so the neighborhoods are not geographic containment.
Similar current OSHA penalty
Nearest same-sector employers by current assessed penalty ($79,257 here).
Similar OSHA inspection count
Same-sector employers with a comparable inspection history outside this state (2 inspections here).
Nearby & Similar Employers in Utilities
Showing 5 of 2995 other employers tracked in this sector.
Compare Des Moines Water Works vs Rockaway Valley Regional Sewerage Authority side-by-side →
What to do with this record
Use Des Moines Water Works's enforcement history as one data point, not the whole picture.
- A single employer's record can look unusual in isolation. Compare Des Moines Water Works against Rockaway Valley Regional Sewerage Authority, a similarly-sized employer in the same sector, before drawing conclusions. Compare side-by-side
- See whether Des Moines Water Works's inspection and penalty record is typical for Utilities or an outlier against the sector's own average. View the Utilities sector
- Before you accept a job or raise a safety concern, search any employer for its own OSHA inspection history the same way you found this one. Search employers
Figures reflect closed OSHA and WHD federal enforcement actions on record (2010–2026); not every workplace issue results in an inspection or investigation.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Data Sources & Methodology ▼
Data as of 2026. Source: U.S. Department of Labor (OSHA, WHD).
Source: OSHA Enforcement Data
Inspection and violation records from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), U.S. Department of Labor, covering the period 2010–2026. Includes inspection dates, violation types (serious, willful, repeat, other-than-serious), and penalty amounts. Penalties shown are current assessed amounts and may differ from original citations due to settlement, contest, or reduction.
Source: Wage and Hour Division (WHD)
Compliance actions from the WHD, covering enforcement of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), including minimum wage, overtime, and child labor violations. Back wages represent amounts owed to affected employees as determined by WHD investigations.
Employer Matching
Employers are matched across OSHA and WHD datasets by name, state, and city. Employers included in PlainWorker have 2 or more OSHA inspections or $1,000+ in WHD back wages. Data is updated monthly from data.dol.gov.