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General Questions
I am new to Rochester. How do I start my electric and water service?
Am I required to pay a security deposit?
When is my bill due?
Where can I pay my bill?
I forgot to pay my bill and my service was disconnected. What happens now?
It's time to move on. How do I stop my service?
Water Questions
Where does my water come
from?
How is my drinking water treated?
Is my water safe to drink?
What is "hard" water? Is Rochester's water "hard"?
What are some miscellaneous fees RPU charges?
Q: I am new to Rochester. How do I start my electric and water service?
A: RPU provides electric and water services to residential and commercial accounts. You can start these services over the phone in just a few minutes by calling a Customer Service Representative at 280-1500 or filling out the
form online. If you would like to stop in, our business hours are Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. We require 24 hours’ notice. Our Service Center is located at 4000 East River Rd NE.
Q. Am I required to pay a security deposit?
A. A security deposit is only required if you have a previous past due balance owing or a history of delinquencies. A deposit will also be required if you are disconnected for nonpayment.
The deposit is determined by adding the two highest consecutive bills in the last 12 months for said service address. RPU will hold deposits for a 12-month period and then return it to the account in the form of a credit providing there were no delinquent notices issued. A deposit will also be returned in the event that that service is stopped, or “finaled.”
Q. When is my bill due?
A. A bill is due 21 days after its issue date. Your billing date may vary slightly each month depending on which day we read your meters. The due date is printed on the bill. If payment is not applied to your account by the 9th working day past your due date, a delinquent /disconnect notice will be issued on the 10th day. If your bill has a current and a past due balance, any partial payments will be applied first to the past due amount.
Q. Where can I pay my bill?
A. You have several options for paying your bill.
1. Mail it to RPU with check or money order in the envelope provided.
2. Pay in person at the RPU Service Center or one of our convenient drop-boxes located around Rochester. See our
On-Location page for addresses.
3. Pay by phone using your Visa or Mastercard.
4. Pay online using your Visa or Mastercard.
5. Sign-up for Automatic Payment and have your amount due deducted monthly from your checking or savings account, or charged to your Visa or Mastercard.
Q. I forgot to pay my bill and my service was disconnected. What happens now?
A. If your service is disconnected for non-payment, the past due amount needs to be brought into our office before service will be restored. Your account will also be charged a reconnect fee that can be paid immediately or attached to next month's billing. The reconnect fee will vary depending on when the service is reconnected. A deposit or deposit upgrade will be charged. If you feel your service was disconnected in error, please contact a Customer Service Representative immediately at 280-1500.
Q. It's time to move on. How do I stop my service?
A. Planning a move? Be sure to give us a 24-hour notice for a final reading. All readings take place Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. It's important that you provide us with a forwarding address for your final bill or possible refund due you.
Water Questions
Q. Where does my water come from?
A. Your drinking water comes from a relatively
small underground basin underneath and surrounding
the city of Rochester. It is replenished by
rainfall and is subject to, or affected by,
contaminants as it percolates from the surface
to the Prairie du Chien-Jordan aquifer, which
is 400-600 feet below the surface. Of the nearly
32 inches of rainfall we receive each year,
approximately six inches of rainfall actually
soaks into the ground and ultimately reaches
the aquifer below. The remainder of the water
evaporates, is taken up by plants, or runs off
the land and is carried away by the Zumbro River.
Rochester's annual use of water is equivalent
to one inch of precipitation on the groundwater
basin, or approximately 4 billion gallons of
water each year. Rochester's water is a mix
of ice age and recent water. The recent water
was recharged within a twenty-mile area around
Rochester.
Q. How is my drinking water treated?
A. Rochester pumps its water from the Prairie du Chien-Jordan underground aquifer using 30 separate wells throughout the city. Water at each well site is chlorinated to prevent bacterial and viral contamination, fluoridated (to reduce dental caries or tooth decay, particularly in children), and have polyphosphate added to reduce the iron staining potential of the water.
Q. Is my water safe to drink?
A. YES! Rochester's water supply is very safe to drink directly from the tap. More than 80 water samples from various locations around the city are tested each month for various bacteriological, organic and inorganic contaminants. Rochester's water supply is in compliance with all Minnesota and federal drinking water standards.
Q. What is "hard" water? Is Rochester's water "hard"?
A. "Hardness" in drinking water is caused by two harmless chemicals (usually called minerals)—calcium and magnesium. It is called hardness because if calcium and magnesium are present in your water, making a lather of suds for washing is "hard" (difficult) to do. Thus, cleaning with “hard” water is hard. Water with little calcium or magnesium is "soft" water. Rochester's water is hard (approximately 275 milligrams/liter, or 16 grains per gallon expressed as calcium carbonate "hardness"). Therefore, many customers have in-home water softener units, which remove the hardness.
Q. What are some miscellaneous fees RPU charges?
A. Here is a list.
NSF (returned) check fee $25.00
Meter test $70.00
(2nd request within 12 months)
Outage Call $60.00
(problem with customer's equipment and its is the customer's 2nd request)
Frozen meter replacement fee $55.00, plus parts
(taxable)
Meter connects & disconnects (after hours):
Weekdays, 5 p.m.-9 p.m.: $100.00 (includes 7%
sales tax)
Weekdays, 9 p.m.- 8 a.m.: $175.00 (includes
7% sales tax)
Weekends and holidays, all hours: $175.00 (includes
7% sales tax)
Non-payment reconnects:
Weekdays, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.: $40.00 (includes
7% sales tax)
Payment pick-up (to avoid disconnect): $40.00
(includes 7% sales tax)
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