Celebrating 110 Years of Public Water Service

This July, Rochester Public Utilities (RPU) is proud to celebrate 110 years of public water service to the Rochester community.

In July 1916, the City of Rochester officially purchased the Rochester Water Company, establishing a municipally operated water utility focused on serving the public and supporting the community’s future growth. Historic newspaper articles from The Daily Post and Record documented the milestone and the beginning of Rochester’s public water utility.

More than a century later, that same commitment to public service continues to guide the work we do every day. Today, RPU delivers millions of gallons of safe, reliable drinking water daily to homes, businesses, schools, and healthcare facilities across Rochester. Behind the scenes, dedicated utility employees work around the clock to maintain infrastructure, monitor water quality, respond to emergencies, and prepare for the future needs of our growing community.

While technology and infrastructure have evolved significantly since 1916, our focus remains the same: providing dependable service our customers can count on. Public utilities are built on service, accountability, reliability, and long-term planning for the communities they serve. Those values continue to guide our work today just as they did 110 years ago. As Rochester continues to grow, RPU continues investing in the future through infrastructure improvements, water supply planning, reliability projects, and new technologies designed to better serve our customers for generations to come.