The Barbourville Utility Commission Was Created In October 1938 By The Barbourville City Council For The Purpose Of Purchasing The Existing Electric System.

The Electric System Serves Approximately 3,000 Homes And Businesses In Barbourville And Knox County.
Currently, All Electric Is Purchased From Kentucky Utilities (Ku). Barbourville’S Base Load Is 16 Megawatts With A Peak Of 20.4 Megawatts In The Summer. Buc Has Seven Employees In Its Electric Division.

Barbourville Currently Treats 1.5 Million Gallons Of Water Per Day And Serves Over 5,000 Customers In Barbourville And Knox County.

Water Is Pumped 24 Miles From Laurel Lake To The Water Treatment Plant Located In Heidrick. This State Of The Art Facility Has The Capacity To Treat Over 4 Million Gallons Of Water Per Day. In Addition To Laurel Lake Water, The Cumberland River Provides An Emergency Backup Supply Of Water. Three Employees Operate The Water Treatment Plant Along With One Lab Technician. All Plant Operators Receive Certification By The State Division Of Water In The Water Treatment Field.

Waste Water

The Current Sewage Treatment Plant Was Constructed In 1976 In The Apple Grove Community Of Barbourville.

The Plant Is An Aerated Lagoon System With A Capacity Of 1 Million Gallons Per Day (Mgd). The Plant Currently Treats 0.6 Mgd. The Sewage Treatment System Was First Constructed In 1950 And Has Grown Since That Time To Include All For The City Of Barbourville As Well As Other Areas Of Knox County. Three Employees Operate The Waste Water Treatment Plant. All Plant Operators Receive Certification By The State Division Of Waste Water.