AS FAR AS CITIES ARE CONCERNED, THE CITY OF HAMILTON IS INTENTIONALLY DIFFERENT.
As a matter of fact, we’re the only city in Ohio that owns and operates all four major utilities (i.e., electric, natural gas, water and wastewater). We’re a not-for-profit utility governed by locally elected officials, appointed boards, and our citizens. So, while lots of utilities are influenced by investors and old practices and whichever way the legislative wind blows, we remain stable.
Remaining stable does not mean we’re stagnant, our teams are committed to continuous improvement and finding innovative ways to better serve our community. So, in 2017, Utilities and Public Works merged together to form the Department of Infrastructure. The two departments, unified as one, are stronger together and more equipped to provide comprehensive service to our community. More often than not, utility and public works capital improvements go hand-in-hand. As one department, we’ve increased our collaboration, built stronger teams, and removed barriers to become more effective in serving the needs of our community.
While merging was one significant step to improve our performance, we wanted to go further and opened a feedback channel to the entire community through the Plan Hamilton initiative. Two common themes have been distilled from Plan Hamilton initiative. One, we need to provide better regional and local transportation networks (i.e., improve mobility). Two, provide reliable and affordable rates across all utilities.
As one team, we’re committed to achieving those outcomes and much more. Help us build a partnership that transforms our community.
We Are Reliable, Local, Yours
Electric
The City of Hamilton has owned and operated its electric utility system since 1893. As the City’s electric service requirements increased, the utility has grown into an integrated generation, transmission, and distribution system serving approximately 30,000 customers. The City of Hamilton meets approximately 56% of our energy needs through ownership or rights to power generated by renewable resources including the Greenup, Meldahl and Hamilton Hydroelectric projects. As part of our efforts to control power costs, Hamilton sells the environmental attributes associated with our community’s share of the power produced by eligible renewable generation resources in the form of renewable energy certificates (RECs). Sale of the environmental attributes through RECs does not alter the fact that 56 percent of our energy is generated by hydroelectric resources. However, once the RECs are sold, we are not permitted to market that energy as “green” or “renewable.” Commercial customers who would like to maintain the linkage between environmental attributes and all or part of their energy usage can participate in our EcoSmart Choice program.
Natural Gas
The City of Hamilton has owned and operated its own natural gas utility since 1890. The natural gas utility is the second oldest in Ohio and 21st oldest in the United States. Hamilton’s gas rates are among the lowest in Ohio and the region as a whole.
Furthermore, Hamilton’s Gas System is the largest municipally-owned gas utility in Ohio and 31st largest in the United States. The Gas System serves approximately 23,000 customers through approximately 275 miles of pipelines. The City has 2 direct interstate pipeline connections to supply its natural gas needs; Texas Gas Transmission, LLC and Texas Eastern Transmission, LP.
Public Works
Public Works is responsible for field services, gas and water distribution, and maintenance and cleaning of the street system. The department also administers and maintains the stormwater utility system, provides vehicle fleet maintenance, and administers refuse and recycling collection and disposal contract services.
Stormwater
The City's Storm Water Management System was created by council ordinance in 2002 and has since evolved into the Storm Water Division. This division is located within the Department of Public Works and is responsible for managing the City’s storm water drainage system. Storm water is water that originates from precipitation events, such as rain or snow. While most storm water is soaked into the ground, some becomes runoff that either flows directly into surface waterways or is channeled into storm sewers and eventually discharged into surface waterways.
Wastewater
Located along the eastern bank of the Great Miami River, the City’s initial wastewater treatment plant was placed in service in 1959. The plant was expanded in 1978 and again in 2002 to provide complete treatment services. Today, the Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) provides primary and secondary treatment to remove approximately 99% of the solids and organics from the wastewater flow and treats approximately 80 tons of solids daily. The WRF has a biological treatment capacity of 32 million gallons per day (MGD), and a hydraulic capacity of 62 MGD.
Water
The City of Hamilton has owned and operated its own water utility since 1884. The City begins by drawing its raw water from one of the finest sources of water in North America, the Great Miami Valley Buried Aquifer. Using 21 deep wells, the City extracts water from the aquifer and then treats the water using a unique chlorine dioxide disinfectant process. The City processes raw water from the aquifer at 2 water treatment plants.
The underground distribution infrastructure of the Water System currently consists of over 289 miles of water mains throughout and in areas adjacent to the City. The City provides, on average, over 18.5 million gallons of water per day (MGD) to approximately 25,000 customers in Hamilton and portions of Butler County.