Kingsport Public Works department has made great progress since the city’s incorporation in 1917. Read below to find highlights from 1917 to now.

• 1917
  • There was no need for paved parking in the city – shoppers could pull their team of horses or Model-T off the road into fields around Broad and Center Streets.
  • A total of 130 metered customers are using 3,000 gallons of water per day.
  • The department had two trucks – one for garbage collection and one for cinder hauling to fill muddy streets.
  • There were 117 streetlights included in the 1917 budget.
• 2017
  • The city now has over 490 miles of concrete and asphalt streets.
  • City water distribution now reaches over 100,000 customers.
  • Kingsport currently has 10,559 streetlights.
  • The current technology used includes automated garbage/recycling collection, automated meter reading, automated callout notifications, GPS, YourGOV and central control for traffic signals.

The current services provided by this department include, but are not limited to, water, wastewater collection, stormwater, garbage/trash/recycling collection, street maintenance, traffic signals and engineering services. Consisting of 312 employees with a total collective service of 4,179 years, the Public Works Department has been involved with many of the new projects and improvements for the city from the beginning.