A bill introduced recently in the Iowa Legislature will help create a regional water authority for the metro Des Moines area that is more responsive to central Iowa communities and to water customers than the Des Moines Water Works (DMWW), according to Chris Hensley, a Des Moines city councilwoman.

"This bill will give us an opportunity to work with surrounding communities to develop a model that would really work for all of us," Hensley said last week. "We think this is a much better approach."

The bill, House File 316, would replace the current governing structure of the DMWW with a regional authority controlled by...