Columbia Power & Water Systems

Since 1939, Columbia Power and Water Systems has proudly served the citizens of Columbia and Maury County — ensuring consistent delivery of the community’s critical services from electricity and water to telecommunications and cable television.  

 

CPWS’ reliable delivery of these important services is just part of the equation. Continuing to build and maintain quality infrastructure ensures Maury County’s many wonderful communities grow and prosper — bringing new businesses to the area while protecting and enhancing the quality of life of its customers.  

 

Although the Columbia Board of Public Utilities was officially established more than 77 years ago, city archives reveal that in 1811, the Columbia Water Company was incorporated. Today, more than 60,000 people, including approximately 21,000 homes and businesses, receive the benefits of safe and clean water — provided by CPWS’ state-of-the-art water treatment plant and 536 miles of distribution mains.  

In addition to delivering an abundance of potable water to the community, CPWS also provides critical fire protection through more than 1,750 fire hydrants strategically placed throughout Maury County. In 2015, CPWS’ fire protection infrastructure assisted the Columbia Fire Department in achieving the highest classification offered by the nationally recognized Insurance Service Office (ISO 1) — a first in the state of Tennessee.

 

 

 

"CPWS remains focused on embracing new technology and making our water system smarter and more robust," stated Wes Kelley, CPWS executive director. "Our water crews work diligently every single day to repair leaks, help customers with usage concerns, and take innumerable steps to keep our customers’ costs as low as possible — all while providing healthy, plentiful water."  

 

It took nearly eight decades, but eventually, the city’s leaders passed an ordinance to supply its citizens with lights and power. In its infancy, the Columbia Board of Public Utilities entered into an agreement in May 1939 with the Tennessee Valley Authority and the city of Columbia, under which TVA agreed to supply electric current to the community for a period of 20 years.  

 

In August that same year, the Columbia Board of Mayor and Aldermen adopted a resolution titled "A Resolution Confirming the Sale of $800,000 Electric System Revenue Bonds of the City of Columbia," which was ratified by the Board of Public Utilities. In New York City on August 15, 1939, the closing transaction on that $800,000 in bonds took place, and the electric system was purchased from the Tennessee Electric Power Company for $654,018.99. The Board also paid the city of Columbia $6,225.13 "for items of expense in connection with the building of an electric system and the acquisition of property of Tennessee Electric Power Company." 

 

 

 

That same year, Columbia Power System consumers averaged a mere 1.86 cents per kWh in their homes and used an average of 1,575 kWh annually. Just 25 years later, homes in Columbia averaged 12,773 kWh of electricity annually, and the average cost was 2.36 cents per kWh. 

 

"With power still generated by the Tennessee Valley Authority, CPWS supplies electricity to more than 26,000 customers through a robust, state-of-the-art electric distribution system," stated Kelley.

 

In April 2015, CPWS was awarded the Top Performer Award for its work supporting TVA’s commercial and industrial EnergyRight® Solutions program. Also, in 2015, CPWS was awarded Elster’s "Best Customer Service" award for its innovative use of AMI data to address customer usage concerns.

 

Over the years, CPWS has built and maintained 773 miles of poles and conductors and 89 miles of underground facilities throughout Maury County. Today, power is delivered through a 12.470 kV primary system that connects to 22,000 homes and 4,000 businesses. Also, CPWS maintains nearly 6,000 streetlights for the cities of Columbia and Spring Hill.

 

CPWS’ newest addition made its debut in 2003. Built to provide Columbia with cost-competitive telecommunication services, the CPWS PowerNet system empowers the local community by providing fast internet access, an abundance of television programming, and full-featured telephone services.    

Currently serving nearly 6,000 homes and businesses through an advanced network made up of 100+ miles of fiber-optic cable and over 320 miles of coax cable, CPWS PowerNet is well equipped to grow as surrounding communities flourish — staying up-to-date with today’s ever-advancing technology demands.  

 

While CPWS PowerNet has provided the best television programming to its customers, today more and more broadcasters are making their programs available through the internet. For that reason, CPWS recently enabled an expansive TV Everywhere service, providing a growing number of video streams for customers interested in watching TV on a variety of electronic devices. CPWS’ PowerNet Broadband division was awarded second place for its innovative "Maury County Now" news program from the National Association of Telecom Officers and Advisors in 2015.   

 

"I am reminded daily how fortunate I am to be a part of this community, and it is my honor to serve as executive director of CPWS — working alongside the men and women who tirelessly dedicate their careers to providing highly reliable services to our community — every day," Kelley said.