Biddeford & Saco Water Company
The First 50 Years
| pre 1881 thru 1884 |
Few small private systems started: (1) Marsten & Durgin - New Country Road to corner of Middle & School Streets, Saco (2) Gilman - Machine shop on Mechanic Street to son's residence on North Street, Saco |
| 1881 March 12 | Chapter 124 of the Private & Special Laws of 1881 passed by the legislature creating Biddeford & Saco Water Company |
| 1882 March 4 | First meeting of Corporators held where they elected Board of Directors & decided to seek revision/correction of original act |
| 1883 February 3 | Chapter 180 of the Private Special Laws of 1883 passed by the legislature ammending Chapter 124 of 1881 |
| February 12 | Directors vote to recommend to annual meeting that Corporation proceed with construction of works to supply the cities of Biddeford & Saco |
| April 23 | Annual meeting held; Directors authorized to proceed with execution of necessary contracts to proceed with construction |
| December 14 | Acquired rights to draw water from Saco River from Saco Water Power Company |
| 1884 January 3 | "Memorandums of Agreement" with Cities of Biddeford and Saco issued relative to supply of drinking and fire protection water |
| May-August | First cast iron pipe ordered from R.D. Wood & Company; various contracts executed relative to construction of works and furnishing equipment |
| September 24 | Acquired private water system which had been owned and operated by Marsten & Durgin |
| 1885 thru the year | Water first turned on to increasing number of customers as system is completed into downtown areas |
| September 8 | Purchased private water system which had been owned and operated by A.H. Gilman |
| December 17 | Initial system complete including pumped supply, large reservoir and over 99,000 ft. of pipe |
| 1886 | Company collected $17,902 from sale of water |
| 1887 | Town of Old Orchard Beach contracted with a private corporation to have a water system constructed and granted 20 year operating rights to that corporation |
| 1902 | Biddeford and Saco Water Company purchased the Old Orchard Water Company |
| 1903 February 13 | Fire destroyed roof and all other wooden portions of pump station |
| 1905 | Water service extended from downtown Old Orchard Beach by way of East Grand Avenue to Grand Beach and Pine Point |
| 1909 | Water service extended down to Ferry Road to Kinney Shores and Camp Ellis |
| 1921 | Pump station modernized and converted to electrical power |
| 1926 | Biddeford and Saco Water Company purchased the Ocean Park Water Company |
| 1928 | Water service extended down Pool Road to Hills Beach and Fort Hill |
| 1931 | Fifty years after corporation created, more than 620,000 ft. of water main in place supplying over 6,500 services |
The Company has continued to grow over the years that have passed since 1931.
Today the Company has over 1,130,000 feet (210 miles) of water main in service,
through which water is delivered to some 14,500 services which supply the residents
of Biddeford, Saco, Old Orchard Beach, and the Pine Point section of Scarborough.
Though water is still taken from the same point on the Saco River as it was back
in 1884, the process and controls used to prepare that water for consumption are
'state of the art', producing a finished water that meets all Federal and State
drinking water regulations.