Bangor Hydro

Bangor Hydro (also known as Bangor Hydroelectric) is the electric utility company serving Derry, Maine, and the employer of Zack Denbrough, the father of Bill and George Denbrough. The company's presence in the narrative is established through Zack Denbrough's professional role and his technical expertise regarding the city's infrastructure, which he imparts to his son Bill during a conversation in his workshop. This conversation occurs in the aftermath of the 1957 flood, a disaster that underscores the vulnerability of Derry's low-lying downtown area to the Kenduskeag Stream's periodic overflow.

Zack Denbrough's Employment and the New Dam

Zack Denbrough works for Bangor Hydroelectric, a fact that is mentioned in the context of the 1957 flood's aftermath. As the floodwaters recede, Zack is among the men removing sandbags that had been hastily erected to protect the city. He informs his family that the river is receding and that, once the new Bangor Hydro dam is installed upstream, the Kenduskeag will cease to be a threat. This statement reflects the company's role in large-scale infrastructure projects aimed at flood control, a persistent problem for Derry given its geography and the stream's history of flooding, including the disastrous 1931 flood that cost millions of dollars and nearly two dozen lives.

Technical Knowledge of Derry's Sewer and Drain Systems

Bangor Hydro's connection to the narrative deepens through Zack Denbrough's technical knowledge. In a later scene set in his workshop, Bill questions his father about the city's sewers and drains, a topic that has become urgent for the Losers' Club as they investigate the nature of the entity terrorizing Derry. Zack explains the dual system of gravity drains and sewage pumps, noting that the pumps are located in the Barrens inside concrete cylinders that Bill's friend Ben Hanscom calls "Morlock holes." Zack describes how he has frequently been called to repair these pumps, often working "up to my knees in crap, rewiring one of those motors." This hands-on experience with Bangor Hydro's equipment gives Zack a practical understanding of the underground network that the children will later navigate. He warns Bill that the system's blueprints are largely lost, that the tunnels are dark, smelly, and infested with rats, and that people have gotten lost in them before—a warning that proves prescient.

The Company's Role in Derry's Infrastructure

Bangor Hydro is presented as a key player in Derry's municipal infrastructure, responsible for both the electrical grid and, through its employees like Zack, the maintenance of the drainage and sewer systems. The company's name appears in the context of the city's ongoing struggle with flooding and the aging, poorly documented underground network. The new dam project represents a forward-looking solution to a chronic problem, while the decaying pumps and lost blueprints symbolize the town's neglect of its hidden systems. This duality—between the promise of new infrastructure and the decay of the old—mirrors the broader theme of Derry as a place where surface normalcy conceals a deep, ancient horror. The company's involvement in the city's physical plant, from power lines to sewer pumps, makes it an integral, if background, part of the setting against which the Losers' Club's confrontation with the entity unfolds.