Columbus City Utilities

What Columbus City Utilities does

Columbus City Utilities (CCU) is a municipal water and sewer utility owned by the City of Columbus, Indiana, providing drinking water and wastewater services to residential, commercial, and industrial customers within city limits. CCU operates an integrated infrastructure portfolio including 26 wells (approximately half considered old, with the last new well field identified in 2008), two water treatment plants (WTP No. 1 at 3 MGD, planned for expansion to 6–8 MGD), a wastewater treatment plant averaging 13.9 MGD with 39 MGD peak capacity on South Jonesville Road, and newly added 2-million-gallon elevated storage at the Deaver Road Tank and Booster Station that increased total system storage by over 50 percent. Recent capital investments include a $29 million State Revolving Fund (SRF) loan, the new Deaver Road tank (completed late 2025), upgrades to WTPs No. 1 and No. 2, and a planned ~1 MW solar array at the WWTP.

The utility generates revenue through a combination of monthly water service fees (base charge by meter size plus volumetric charges per 1,000 gallons), sewer service fees with residential, large commercial, and industrial rate tiers plus surcharges for excessive strength, septic hauler fees ($4.42 per load plus $0.04 per gallon), and one-time tap and connection fees. CCU's go-to-market is direct municipal service with no traditional sales motion — customers initiate service through the website, phone, or in-person at 1111 McClure Road, and pay through the CCU BillPay portal. The utility is governed by the Columbus Utility Service Board under Executive Director Roger Kelso (appointed November 2021, 45+ years industry experience), with Associate Directors Ashley Getz (Engineering), Travis Calhoun (Treatment Operations), and Heather Holzem (Finance & Business Operations). CCU supports a Quality Control Lab of 4 staff that conducted over 18,500 tests in 2022 and has earned consecutive IWEA Laboratory Excellence Awards (99.8% in 2024, 92% in 2025), plus a wide range of plant, safety, and individual recognition awards from IWEA, SIOA, IDEM, and ACEC.

Name

Columbus City Utilities

Legal name

Columbus City Utilities

Website

https://columbusutilities.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Columbus City Utilities is a municipal water and sewer utility serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers in Columbus, Indiana, operating 26 wells, two water treatment plants, and a wastewater treatment plant.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Wastewater Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Utilities (221)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950), Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Regulatory Compliance Monitoring & Reporting (SDWA/CWA/NPDES, permits, audits) (EUANAJAA), Municipal Wastewater Collection (Sewer Networks) (BPALAMAA), Sewer Pump/Lift Stations & Wet Wells (EUANACAC), Raw Water Conveyance & Transmission (Aqueducts, Mains, Pumping Stations) (EUANAAAB)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Wastewater treatment
• Municipal utilities
• Water quality
• Utility billing

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Water Service Fees: Monthly water service charges based on meter size (base charge) plus volumetric consumption charges per 1,000 gallons. Residential and commercial customers pay tiered rates.
2. Sewer Service Fees: Monthly sewer service charges with base charges by meter size and volumetric rates per 1,000 gallons. Includes surcharges for excessive strength (BOD, SS, NH3, PT) and capacity charges for high-volume users. Multi-phase rate increases implemented through 2027.
3. Septic Hauler Fees: Fees for septic waste disposal at wastewater treatment plant: $4.42 per load plus 4.0 cents per gallon.
4. Tap and Connection Fees: Fees for new water and sewer service installations, sewer tap permits, and commercial service connections.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Columbus City Utilities (CCU) supplies drinking water and provides wastewater (sanitary sewer) collection and treatment to residential and commercial customers in Columbus, Indiana. The utility also operates auxiliary programs such as the Pretreatment Program, the FROG (Fats, Rags, Oils, and Grease) program, the Septic Hauler Program, hydrant flow testing, and engineering services for new service connections, alongside an online billing and account management portal (CCU BillPay).

Product overview

Columbus City Utilities (CCU) provides essential municipal water and sewer services to Columbus, Indiana. The utility operates as a single integrated service portfolio encompassing residential and commercial water supply, wastewater treatment and collection, and infrastructure management. Core services include water distribution from 26 wells across two water treatment plants, wastewater treatment at the Jonesville Road facility, and online account management through the CCU BillPay portal. CCU maintains active capital improvement programs for both water (tank storage, treatment plant upgrades, transmission mains) and wastewater (solar power, biosolids processing, interceptor construction) systems, along with engineering services for developers, cross connection control programs, and water quality monitoring including PFAS management. The utility is governed by the Utility Service Board and maintains a Quality Control Laboratory with multiple certifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Residential Water Service Drinking water supply service provided to residential customers in the Columbus, Indiana service area, including connections to the municipal water distribution system.
• Residential Sewer Service Sanitary sewer (wastewater) collection and treatment service for residential customers in the Columbus, Indiana service area.
• Commercial Water Service Drinking water supply service for commercial and industrial customers in Columbus, Indiana, provided through the municipal water distribution system.
• Commercial Sewer Service Sanitary sewer service for commercial and industrial customers in Columbus, Indiana, including wastewater collection and treatment.
• CCU BillPay (Online Account Management) Online billing and account management portal that allows CCU customers to view and pay their water and sewer bills, manage account details, and access customer service.
• Hydrant Flow Testing Engineering service that measures available fire flow at fire hydrants in the CCU system to support fire protection planning and development.
• Pretreatment Program Regulatory program requiring industrial and commercial customers to obtain permits and comply with discharge limits before releasing wastewater into the municipal sewer system.
• FROG Program (Fats, Rags, Oils, and Grease) Program to prevent fats, rags, oils, and grease from being discharged into the sewer system, protecting wastewater infrastructure from blockages.
• Septic Hauler Program Program permitting and regulating septic haulers discharging waste at CCU's wastewater treatment facility.
• New Service Connections (Engineering) Engineering service to install new water and/or sewer taps and connections for residential and commercial customers connecting to the CCU system.
• Capital Improvement Projects (Water Main Replacement) Infrastructure improvement projects to upgrade and replace water and sewer infrastructure, such as the 2025 Water Main Replacement project on Rocky Ford Road and Tammy Drive.
• AMI Metering (Advanced Metering Infrastructure) Planned advanced metering infrastructure initiative to replace existing water meters with smart meters, enabling better data collection and operational visibility (in planning phase).
• Water Quality Reports (Consumer Confidence Report) Annual water quality reports (Consumer Confidence Report) showing the results of drinking water testing for compliance and transparency.

Quantifiable outcome

• Achieved 100% on 2025 Safety Audit (177-point inspection)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Arcadis U.S., Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Partnership to develop a comprehensive Source Water Development Plan addressing aging wells, aquifer capacity, and future well field locations. Arcadis will help CCU navigate evolving water quality standards and identify new water sources for decades of growth.
• Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 March 2026Federal partnership through CISA Water Sector Initiatives providing continuous automated vulnerability scanning, weekly security reports, threat intelligence, and expert cybersecurity support at no cost to ratepayers.
• M.E. SimpsonminorOthers · 31 March 2026Firm contracted to perform annual hydrant flow testing program, flushing hydrants across the city to confirm system pressure and flow rates.
• Indiana 811minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Damage prevention organization for underground utilities. CCU employees attend annual Midwest Damage Prevention Training Conference to learn about safety procedures when working near underground utilities.
• Aqua BackflowcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThird-party administrator for backflow prevention program. Assists CCU in contacting device holders, recording test results in central database, and ensuring state regulatory compliance. Does not test, install, or repair backflow preventers.
• Strand Associates, Inc.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering firm that designed CCU's Deaver Road Tank and Booster Station. Selected CCU as State Finalist for ACEC Engineering Excellence Awards.
• Caldwell Tanks LLCminorOthersContractor that built the bowl and base for the new 2-million-gallon elevated water storage tank on Deaver Road.
• Bowen EngineeringminorOthersContractor involved in Deaver Road Water Tank and Booster Station project.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• California Water Service Group: Investor-owned water utility serving ~2 million people across California, Washington, New Mexico, Hawaii, and Texas. Comparable regulated water utility with growing infrastructure investment and capex programs.
• Artesian Resources: Investor-owned water and wastewater utility serving customers in Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Comparable small-cap regulated water utility with similar revenue mix from water, sewer, and tap fees.
• Veolia North America: Operates municipal water and wastewater contracts across the U.S. for cities like Indianapolis. Comparable infrastructure investor with overlapping municipal water/wastewater operations and similar regulatory compliance focus.
• York Water Company: Investor-owned water utility serving ~200,000 people in Pennsylvania. Closest small-cap public analog to CCU, with comparable municipal-style service area and rate-based revenue model.
• Essential Utilities (formerly Aqua America): Investor-owned water and natural gas utility serving ~5 million people across 10 states. Comparable regulated water utility structure with similar residential/commercial water and wastewater service offerings.
• Middlesex Water Company: Investor-owned water and wastewater utility in New Jersey and Delaware. Comparable small-to-mid-cap regulated water utility with similar service offerings to municipal and commercial customers.
• American Water Works Company: Largest investor-owned water and wastewater utility in the U.S., serving ~14 million people across 14 states. Closest publicly traded analog to CCU's municipal water/sewer business model, though significantly larger and multi-jurisdictional.
• SJW Group: Water and wastewater utility holding company with regulated operations in California, Texas, Connecticut, and Maine. Comparable rate-regulated water utility with similar residential and commercial customer base.

Direct peers

• Indiana American Water (American Water subsidiary): Indiana service area of American Water Works, operating as a regulated water utility within the same state as CCU. Direct comparison for Indiana-specific water rates, regulatory environment, and customer demographics.
• Aqua Indiana (Essential Utilities subsidiary): Indiana operations of Essential Utilities, providing water and wastewater service to Indiana communities. Direct Indiana-based peer operating under similar state regulatory framework (IURC) and competing for similar customer profiles.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/columbus-utilities

Compliance10 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Columbus City Utilities