Black River Falls Muncipal Utilities was founded in 1904 by the citizens of Black River Falls. In 1904, a timber dam and a power plant were constructed at the cost of $25,000. In 1908, a concrete spillway dam was constructed. An October 1911 flood washes away the Power Plant and floods the City. Most of the business district was destroyed and caused $2 million in damage. In January 1912 the construction of the tainter gate dam commenced. In 1919, a second hydroelectric generator was installed. In 1947, the original 1904 generator was replaced with a new 600kW generator. June 1993 brought another historic flood to the river on Father's Day. 2004 marked the 100 year anniversery of the Utilities. September 2009 the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin authorizes the City to construct a new hydroelectric dam. Midway through construction of a new dam, September 2010 another flood caused significant damage to the construction project. March 2012 the new hydroelectric dam was placed in service, the reservoir refilled and power production resumes at the power plant.
While much as changed, the focus of the Utilties has not. Today, we still offer our residents some of the lowest electric rates in Wisconsin. We also provide our customers with clean, high-quality water that meets or exceeds all state and federal standards. And as part of the community, we afford our citizens a voice in our decisions and programs.