 The city operates its own water system , drawing groundwater from wells with an adjacent water treatment plant located just outside the city limits in Franklin Township as well as using a water reclamation facility along the Cuyahoga River in the southwestern part of the city . Waste collection for the entire city is handled through a local private contractor and Portage County handles the city 's recycling collection . Kent 's original recycling program was developed in 1970 by the Kent Environmental Council and was Ohio 's first comprehensive and self @-@ supporting program . Local phone utilities are provided through AT & T Ohio through the 330 and 234 area codes , electricity is supplied and lines are maintained by FirstEnergy in the former coverage area of Ohio Edison , and natural gas is supplied and lines are maintained by Dominion Resources East Ohio Energy . While residents are free to choose their own natural gas and electric suppliers , the city is part of the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council , or NOPEC , the largest government aggregation in the United States . 
