Water Utility
Established in 1900 when a private company, Muscatine Water Works, was providing Muscatine with unsafe water, straight from the Mississippi River. City Council members and community leaders were dissatisfied with the situation. They purchased Muscatine Water Works and set about to establish a safe, potable water supply for the city.
Electric Utility
Established in 1922, Muscatine Electric Light Company was formed in response to local concerns about poor service from privately held electric companies.
Communications Utility
Established in 1997, the Communications Utility was founded to provide cable tv and Internet services.
Milestones
Workers used shovels and horses while digging frozen ground to build some of Muscatine’s first water mains on the south end of Oregon Street in 1904.
1906 Electric Power House Engine
Water and light panel trucks were a familiar site in 1948.
MP&W’s Original Downtown Office
1900
Municipal Water Works founded
1922
Muscatine Electric Light founded
1929
Municipal electric and water utilities merge, becoming Muscatine Water and Light
1967
Company name changes to Muscatine Power and Water
1997
Communications Utility founded
1999
MPW Cable launched
2000
100-year anniversary of municipal water operations in Muscatine
2002
Mediacom Communications Corporation’s Muscatine area cable system purchased
2005
MPW Cable HD (high-definition television) launched with digital video recorder (DVR) capability & MachLink Lite
2007
Major repairs from February ice storm, June tornado, and August wind storms
Paul Burback
Energy Services Specialist
Phone: (563) 263-2631
pburback@mpw.org
Make a Difference with Green Muscatine
By participating in MP&W’s Green Muscatine program, you continue to get the reliable energy you need while doing something positive with renewable energy for our community’s environment.
