About

Electric System

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.

In 2020, the Electric System earned the Reliable Public Power Provider (RP3)® Diamond Level designation from the American Public Power Association for providing reliable and safe electric service.  Diamond level, the highest level of recognition, is earned by approximately 5% of the nation's 2,000 public power organizations. The RP3 designation recognizes public power utilities that demonstrate proficiency in four key disciplines: reliability, safety, workforce development, and system improvement.

Quick Facts

Total Debt: $35,730,000

Bond Rating: A3

Customers Served: 30,000

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Natural Gas System

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 24,000 customers through approximately 285 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.

In late 2014, the City of Hamilton completed construction of the area’s first public compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling station. This station provides a clean alternative to gasoline and diesel to local businesses and residents.

Quick Facts

Total Debt: $4,520,000

Bond Rating: A1

Customers Served: 24,000

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Water System

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 353 miles of water mains throughout and in areas adjacent to the City. The City provides, on average, over 15.5 million gallons of water per day (MGD) to approximately 24,000 customers in Hamilton and portions of Butler County.

Quick Facts

Total Debt: $31,373,389

Bond Rating: Aa3

Customers Served: 24,000

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Wastewater System

The City of Hamilton Wastewater System is made up of two primary divisions:

• Sanitary Sewer Division – responsible for operating and maintaining the sanitary sewer infrastructure for the collection and conveyance of wastewater to the Water Reclamation Facility
• Water Reclamation Division – responsible for treating wastewater that is collected and delivered by the sanitary sewer infrastructure

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.

Quick Facts

Total Debt: $38,943,795

Bond Rating: A1

Customers Served: 23,600

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Stormwater System

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.

Quick Facts

Total Debt: $3,432,967

Total Budget in 2023:  $1,952,600

Customers Served: 27,691