The City of Etowah in 1912 granted a franchise to a private company known as Etowah Water & Light (EW&L).  Originally, EW&L used a gasoline powered turbine located in West Etowah to generate power to the city in a limited capacity.  This facility was located next to another business known to Etowah citizens as Dunn’s Ice Plant.

Later in 1919, EL&W obtained right-of-way’s and begin taking delivery of electricity from the Tennessee Electric Power Company in order to provide for increased power demands to the city.  Water in those days was pumped from springs and wells located just east of the L&N Depot and stored on a high ridge currently known as Little Mountain

In 1925, a new office and supply house was built at 120 Ninth Street in Etowah.  This became the main hub of operations for EW&L until 1939 when it was sold to the City of Etowah.  The new public utility became known as the Utility Department of the City of Etowah.  Later in 1955 the Utility Department built a new water treatment plant at the Hiwassee River and this facility still provides water to the city today.  Many improvements were made throughout the years in order to provide increased demands for all services.

Currently, Etowah Utilities is located on South Tennessee Avenue at the base of Starr Mountain and the Cherokee National Forest.  Under the direction of the Etowah Utility Board, we are a publicly owned municipal utility and are not influenced by stock market prices or other private investor influences.  This allows our board and management team to make sound business decisions that are best for our customers and not private investors.

Our employees are your neighbors, Sunday School teachers, little league coaches and civic organization members striving to promote the best interests of our community.  As Etowah has grown from a small railroad town, Etowah Utilities has been there every step of the way.  Our city has never had to restrict progress for our citizens, businesses and industries due to a lack of adequate utility services.  Operating efficiently and using cost effective business practices have resulted in our ability to provide competitive utility rates that are comparable to surrounding areas.  

Electricity

We provide electricity that is purchased from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and distributed it throughout McMinn, Monroe, and Polk Counties.

Natural Gas

Natural Gas is purchased from the Gulf of Mexico and transported by pipeline for distribution to the City of Etowah, the City of Englewood, McMinn County, Polk County, and other distributors.

Water and Wastewater

Our water comes from the Hiwassee River and is purified in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Tennessee Department of Conservation (TDEC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  Water quality is closely monitored by our on-site operators and distributed to the City of Etowah, City of Englewood, McMinn County, and Polk County.

Wastewater is collected in our collection system and pumped to our wastewater treatment plant south of the city.  The plant is operated and monitored by certified operators.  Wastewater is treated in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Tennessee Department of Conservation (TDEC) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).