Editing Missoula, Montana (section)

===Utilities===
[[File:Missoula mount sentinel.jpg|thumb|Power lines crossing the [[Clark Fork (river)|Clark Fork River]] east of the Higgins Avenue Bridge]]
The earliest Missoulians drew their water directly from the [[Clark Fork (river)|Clark Fork River]] or nearby Rattlesnake Creek. The first water system consisted of a Native American known as One-Eyed Riley and his friend filling buckets of water from the Rattlesnake Creek and hauling them door to door on a donkey cart.<ref name="Chaney2011a">{{cite news |title=Missoula has never controlled its own water destiny |last=Chaney |first=Rob |newspaper=Missoulian |issn=0746-4495 |location=Missoula |date=January 2, 2011 |access-date=August 13, 2015 |url=http://missoulian.com/article_073cda54-163b-11e0-8873-001cc4c002e0.html |quote=Back in 1870, Missoulians got their water from One-Eyed Riley and his Missoula Water Works. Riley's original system was a yoke and two buckets that he hauled door to door. |archive-date=September 15, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915101617/http://missoulian.com/article_073cda54-163b-11e0-8873-001cc4c002e0.html}}</ref> In 1871 city co-founder [[Francis Lyman Worden|Frank Worden]] began construction of a long pipe and wooden main system that flowed from the Rattlesnake Creek {{convert|2.5|mi|0}} north of the city. With the addition of two small covered reservoirs, the first municipal water system was begun in 1880. With an intake dam built-in 1901 with a settling basin capacity of {{convert|3|e6USgal|m3}}, the Rattlesnake Creek continued to meet the demands of the city until 1935 when five wells were added to respond to increased summer and fall demand. This system is still maintained as an emergency backup but was discontinued as a primary source after [[Giardia]] outbreak in 1983.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mtnwater.com/History.htm |title=Mountain Water Company's Roots |publisher=Mountain Water Company |access-date=August 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070822212143/http://mtnwater.com/History.htm |archive-date=August 22, 2007 |quote=In 1871, the first actual system was begun with log pipes and wooden mains .&nbsp;.&nbsp;. The Rattlesnake Intake Dam was built in 1901 with a settling basin capacity of 3&nbsp;million gallons .&nbsp;.&nbsp;. The Rattlesnake Creek met Missoula's water needs until 1935 when five wells were added to augment fall and summer demands. In fact, the watershed was used until 1983, when a Giardia problem arose and its use was discontinued.}}</ref> Since then, Missoula has relied on the Missoula Valley [[Aquifer]] as the sole source of water.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://mtnwater.com/aahquifer.htm |title=The Missoula Aquifer |publisher=Mountain Water Company |access-date=August 24, 2015 |date=March 26, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150212164704/http://mtnwater.com/aahquifer.htm |archive-date=February 12, 2015 |url-status=dead |quote=Today the aquifer is the sole source of water for residents in the Missoula Valley.}}</ref> In 1889, the first electrical plant was built by {{nowrap|[[A. B. Hammond]]}} to power his major downtown properties such as the Missoula Mercantile and the [[Florence Hotel (Missoula, Montana)|Florence Hotel]]. In 1905, the Missoula Mercantile (by then owned by [[Copper Kings|Copper King]] [[William A. Clark]] purchased the water system and consolidated it with its vast electrical holdings to create the Missoula Light and Water Company (ML&W) a year later.<ref name="Mueller 1956">{{cite journal |title=Best Water in Montana |journal=Mueller Record |date=October 1956 |url=http://muellermuseum.org/library/MR_NewsLetters/Mueller_Record_Oct_1956j.pdf#page=7 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150814180116/http://muellermuseum.org/library/MR_NewsLetters/Mueller_Record_Oct_1956j.pdf#page=7 |archive-date=August 14, 2015 |url-status=live |pages=7–10, 21–22}}</ref> Electricity and water remained bundled after ML&W's sale to the [[Montana Power Company]] (MPC) in 1929. In 1979, MPC sold its water utility holdings as Mountain Water Company to Park Water Company in [[Downey, California]], which since 2011 has been a subsidiary of [[The Carlyle Group]].<ref>{{cite web |date=December 19, 2011 |title=Park Water Company Completes Change in Ownership to The Carlyle Group |url=http://carlyle.com/news-room/news-release-archive/park-water-company-completes-change-ownership-carlyle-group |publisher=The Carlyle Group |archive-date=August 26, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150826162018/http://carlyle.com/news-room/news-release-archive/park-water-company-completes-change-ownership-carlyle-group |id=2011-083}}</ref> In 2015, the City of Missoula was legally granted its {{" '}}right to acquire{{'}} the water system by exercising its power of eminent domain",<ref name="Kidston 2015">{{cite news |last=Kidston |first=Martin |date=June 15, 2015 |title=Missoula wins legal fight to take over Mountain Water Co. |url=http://missoulian.com/article_c16fa303-87fe-520e-8492-1594c00ffb98.html |newspaper=Missoulian |issn=0746-4495 |location=Missoula |quote=It is now, she said, Missoula's 'right to acquire' the water system by exercising its power of eminent domain. |archive-date=September 15, 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915101533/http://missoulian.com/article_c16fa303-87fe-520e-8492-1594c00ffb98.html}}</ref> but {{As of|2017|06|lc=y}} the decision was upheld by a district court.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Friesen |first1=Peter |title=City of Missoula takes ownership of Mountain Water |url=http://missoulian.com/news/local/city-of-missoula-takes-ownership-of-mountain-water/article_a1f5f05c-1fc7-5c40-9c56-f39379ec4c08.html |access-date=December 9, 2017 |work=missoulian.com |language=en |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171210015517/http://missoulian.com/news/local/city-of-missoula-takes-ownership-of-mountain-water/article_a1f5f05c-1fc7-5c40-9c56-f39379ec4c08.html |archive-date=December 10, 2017}}</ref>

Following the deregulation of Montana's [[electricity market]] in 1997, Montana Power Company began to divest its energy business. MPC sold substantially all its electrical generating assets to the [[PPL Corporation]] in December 1997 and its energy transmission and distribution business to [[NorthWestern Corporation]] in February 2002.<ref>{{cite web |first1=Paul A. |last1=Leonard |first2=Paul |last2=Miesing |first3=Ray |last3=Van Ness |url=http://www.albany.edu/~pm157/research/Montana%20Power.pdf |title=Montana Power Company: When Power Begets Power |date=2005 |publisher=University at Albany, State University of New York |access-date=August 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130808032839/http://albany.edu/~pm157/research/Montana%20Power.pdf |archive-date=August 8, 2013}}</ref> Despite filing for bankruptcy in 2002, NorthWestern Corporation's subsidiary NorthWestern Energy is the primary provider of electric and natural gas service to Missoula in addition to the [[Rural Utilities Service]]'s Missoula Electric Cooperative.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://missoulaelectric.com/History |title=History of Missoula Electric Cooperative |access-date=August 9, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214201430/http://missoulaelectric.com/History |archive-date=February 14, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Local telephone service in the area is provided by [[CenturyLink]] and [[Blackfoot Telecommunications]]. Major cell phone providers include [[AT&T Mobility|AT&T]], [[Sprint Nextel|Sprint]], [[Verizon Wireless|Verizon]], and [[T-Mobile US|T-Mobile]]. Allied Waste handles recycling through a program where customers can purchase special blue bags to designate recyclables. Recycling has also been offered by Missoula Valley Recycling since 1992, by Garden City Recycling since 2010 which offers curbside pickup, and by Pacific Steel & Recycling which offers drop-off recycling.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.makeitmissoula.com/community/going-green-and-recycling/missoula-recycling-guide/ |title=Missoula Recycling Guide |publisher=Make it Missoula |access-date=February 8, 2012 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120106070329/http://www.makeitmissoula.com/community/going-green-and-recycling/missoula-recycling-guide/ |archive-date=January 6, 2012}}</ref> Sewer service is handled by the City of Missoula Wastewater Division.