Documentary History of American Water-works

Owego

Owego, New York

Owego was incorporated as a village in 1827.

The Owego Water Works Company was incorporated in 1868, but did not build anything.

Another Owego Water Works Company was incorporated on June 1, 1879 and built a gravity water system that same year. The company was controlled by Solon L. Wiley, who developed some twenty water systems in the 1870s and 1880s. The system was sold to Walter D. Wood of the R. D. Wood Company of Philadelphia in 1891, which was a large manufacturer of pipe. Wood died in 1935 and left his interest in the plant to the village for the purpose of supporting a hospital or library. The remaining stockholders agreed to sell their stock to the village, but voters turned down the proposition.

The company was sold to General Water Works, Inc. in 1982, which became part of United Water and later Suez.

Water is provided by Suez Water Owego-Nichols, Inc.

References
1868 An act to incorporate the Owego Water Works Company. April 29, 1868.

1870 An act to revive and amend the charter of the Owego Water Works Company, incorporated under chapter four hundred and fifty-eight, laws of eighteen hundred and sixty-eight, entitled "An act to incorporate the Owego Water Works Company," passed April twenty-ninth, eighteen hundred and sixty-eight. April 27, 1870

1874 An act to provide for supplying the village of Owego, in the county of Tioga, with water. April 25, 1874

1875 An act to amend chapter two hundred and fifty-two of the laws of eighteen hundred and seventy-four, entitled "An act to provide for supplying the village of Owego, in the county of Tioga, with water." April 29, 1875.

1881 Towanda Daily Review, April 13, 1881, Page 1
Mr. S.L. Wiley, President of the Owego Water Works, has been in town this week. He proposes to put up an engine, and pump water from the river into the lower reservoir until the upper one is proof against all leakage. He declares that Owego shall not be without water any longer. The work will be under the superintendence of Mr. Cook. - Record

1882 Owego, Engineering News, 9:387 (November 11, 1882)

1887 "The Taylor Water Works Case Concluded," Tioga County Record, March 25, 1887, Page 3.
John L. Taylor vs. The Owego Water Works Company

1888 "Owego," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 1.

1890 "Owego," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 2.

1891 Star-Gazette (Elmira, New York), June 20, 1891, Page 4.
Mr. Wood, a Philadelphian, has purchased a controlling interest in the Owego water works.

1891 "Owego," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 3.

1897 Joel A. Hamilton, Appellant, v. Owego Water Works, Respondent, 22 App. Div. 573, December Term, 1897, Appellate Division, Third Department. Insufficient water supply to suppress fire.

1897 "Owego," from Manual of American Water Works, Volume 4.

1900 Joel A. Hamilton, Appellant, v. Owego Water Works, Respondent, 163 N.Y. 562, May 15, 1900, Court of Appeals of the State of New York

1900 "Verdict against a water works company in high court," Star-Gazette (Elmira, New York), May 17, 1900, Page 8.

1918 "Claim Pressure of Water is Low," Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, New York), February 13, 1918, Page 3.

1934 "Walter D. Wood, Industrialist, dies; Philadelphia Manufacturer of Iron Piping was Owner of New Jersey Newspaper," The New York Times, April 21, 1934, Page 15.

1934 "Water Works are given Owego Free Library by Wood," The Evening Times (Sayre, Pennsylvania), May 7, 1934, Page 6.

1936 "Control of Utility offered to Village," The Evening Times (Sayre, Pennsylvania), January 21, 1936, Page 6.
State law provides that a municipality must own all or no stock in a public utility corporation.

1937 Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, New York), February 2, 1937, Page 22.
The group of six Owego men who now control the plant have offered to sell their holdings outright for an additional $5,000, making the total price asked of $17,000.

1937 "Owego," The Ithaca Journal, May 5, 1937, Page 15.
Commenting on the proposed purchase of the Owego Water Works by the village, Village Health Officer E.E. Bauer said that he was opposed to buying "that piece of junk known as the water system."

1937 "Owego will vote on water works," The Evening Times (Sayre, Pennsylvania), May 12, 1937, Page 3.

1937 "Owego to vote on municipal plant to supply water," The Evening Times (Sayre, Pennsylvania), July 27, 1937, Page 6.

1937 Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, New York), September 30, 1937, Page 40.
Owego village taxpayers killed two propositions for the acquisition of the Owego Water Works.

1937 Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, New York), November 16, 1937, Page 22.
Contract signed between village and Owego water works.

1957 "State Pattern Seen in PSC Water Pact Ruling," Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, New York) October 13, 1957, Page 2.
The Owego Water Works was owned locally for 77 years before it was sold last year to outside interested headed by Col. Samuel W. Fleming of Harrisburg. The company serves about 1,400 customers in the village and its surrounding area.

1957 "Owego Water Works gets Nichols stock OK," Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, New York), December 7, 1957, Page 5.
The Owego Water Works authorized to purchase the Nichols Water Company.

1979 Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, New York), June 19, 1979, Page 3.
In other business, the village rejected any reconsideraton of purchasing the Owego Water Works. A referendum on the purchase was turned down last week.

1982 "No Changes in Water Plant," Press and Sun-Bulletin (Binghamton, New York), June 19, 1982, Page 3.
Purchased by General Water Works, Inc.