*WATER SINCE 1884          *ELECTRICITY SINCE 1914       *WASTE WATER COLLECTION SINCE 1914

 

Electricity has been flowing in Denison since 1894. Between that year and the year that municipal electricity was created by a vote of the people, electricity was used in a minimal manner. Its only use was to run pumps that piped water into the water system and to light a few businesses that happened to be along the route of the electrical lines.

The people of Denison realized by late 1913 that electricity was becoming more a necessity than a luxury, and proceeded to develop a municipal electric utility. On January 22, 1914, a special election was held and there was an overwhelming vote of 496 to 107 to issue electric revenue bonds and build their own municipal power plant. On April 23, 1914, the power plant and the related facilities were purchased for $28,000.00. At this point the utility needed to expand and grow to meet the ever increasing electrical desires of the people of Denison. The business of building the municipal electric system began in earnest in 1914. Power plant additions were ordered and began, and new line was strung to parts of the community that previously had not been serviced with electricity. The power was generated in those early years from coal brought in by rail car and the coal fired boilers that spin turbines to generate the electricity.

In the late 1950's hydroelectric dams were being constructed on the Missouri River. In October of 1960 the Board of Trustees of Denison Municipal Utilities decided to purchase power from these hydroelectric dams on the Missouri River. In July of 1959 the federal government decided to build a high voltage transmission line from Sioux City to Creston.

 

Former Denison Municipal Utilities General Manager, Daymon Abbott was instrumental in securing the construction of this line with the location of a substation near Denison. Since its construction of this Western Area Power Administration substation, many advantages have been recognized by having it located near Denison.

It became apparent that the amount of electricity provided from the hydroelectric dams on the Missouri River would reach its maximum. On November 12, 1965 the Denison Municipal Utilities joined with other municipal utilities in Minnesota, North and South Dakota and Iowa to form the Missouri Basin Municipal Power Agency (later Missouri River Energy Services). Through its membership in this agency, Denison has become involved with the Laramie River Station, a coal fired plant in Wheatland, Wyoming. The electricity that Denison needs today and into the future will be provided by Missouri River Energy Services in conjunction with the hydroelectric power made available through the Western Area Power Administration. These two low cost wholesale power suppliers enable the Denison Municipal Utilities to have some of the lowest rates in the nation.

 

The municipal water system in Denison was established on November 4, 1884. In the early years of the municipal water system, the system consisted of one or two municipal wells. This well water was pumped into a distribution piping network to serve water throughout the community. From 1884 until the end of 1928, the water was simply pumped out of the ground and delivered to the homes and businesses.

The first water treatment plant was built and put on line in November of 1928. The plant removed some of the iron and hardness from the raw water before being delivered to the community. In September of 1963 the second water treatment plant was constructed near the West Boyer River which was a two million gallon per day plant. It remained so until improvements were made in 1985 that allowed it to treat three million gallons of water each day. It soon became apparent that the plant would be in need of significant improvements and expansions if it were to continue to serve those who depend on it. In 1997 Howard R. Green Company, a consulting engineering firm, designed the renovated and expanded Denison Water Treatment Plant so it can produce seven million gallons per day. The treatment facility pumps the water to towers throughout the community. Denison currently has three water towers. A 500,000 gallon tower built in 1948 which is located on N. 16th street. On North 24th there is a 200,000 gallon tower built in 1966, and in 1992 a one million gallon tower was built on N. 18th street. In total, Denison has 1.7 million gallons of elevated water storage and another 2 million gallons of underground storage at the Water Plant. The water comes from 50-70 ft. deep wells located near and in the North Boyer River basin. These wells are constructed into what is referred to as a glacial sand or rock seam. This rock seam provides a good quantity of water that enabled the construction of the municipal wells. Denison Municipal Utilities purchased land north of Denison along the Boyer River. Five wells are located in the north well field. These wells are the newest of the 11 wells that will serve the utility well into the future.

 

The collection and treatment of the waste water from the community is located at the waste water treatment facility in Denison on Arrowhead Drive.

Denison has had some form of sewer collection since 1914, but between the years of 1914 and 1969 the sewage leaving the homes and businesses emptied into the Boyer River. However, the environmental concerns in the country put strict limitations on the amount of waste water that could discharge into the water ways of the nation. Denison's first waste water treatment plant referred to as the trickling filter plant, began operation in 1969. Joint planning between Farmland, IBP and Denison Municipal Utilities took place in the mid 1970's and in the early 1980's and a new treatment plant was constructed next to the trickling filter plant. This new plant is referred to as the Joint Treatment Facility.  The Joint Treatment Facility opened in November of 1982 and can treat approximately 3.2 million gallons per day of waste water. In 2005 an approximate 25% expansion was added to the Wastewater Treatment plant.

During the construction of the facility, some interesting archeological discoveries were made. The project was temporarily halted so archeologists from the University of Iowa could dig. They found many Indian artifacts, some of which are displayed in the basement floor of the Crawford County Courthouse. An important aspect of the Joint Treatment Facility was the construction of the ponds or lagoons. These lagoons can hold treated water during periods of severe drought of up to 180 days.