Dear Rice Lake Utilities Customers, Neighbors and Friends!

Due to continually changing events of the coronavirus outbreak and additional emergency declarations, the threat of spread, and the necessity of protecting your team of essential service workers / providers – Rice Lake Utilities is CLOSING our customer counter lobby beginning Friday 03/20/2020. We will not re-open until the state of emergency is lifted.

We strongly urge you to utilize the drop boxes (one is outside the utility lobby and a second is located on the north side of City Hall – Eau Claire St entrance). We will be checking both boxes several times a day to ensure your envelopes will be accepted. You also may pay your bill online utilizing your debit or credit card.

Please also know per Wisconsin Public Service Commission order, disconnects due to nonpayment will be suspended until further notice.

Your utility team continues to monitor developments closely! Our top priority is taking care of our people, our customers, and our community. You and your family’s health and protection are considered in everything we do. We don’t take our job and responsibility to provide essential life services (providing you safe drinking water, removal of septage waste, and providing you reliable electrical power) to those we serve lightly.

Please continue to educate yourself on COVID-19, its symptoms, and preventative measures to keep from contracting and / or spreading it. Rice Lake Utilities refers you to the CDC web site at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services at https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/outbreaks/index.htm, and Mayo Clinic at https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/category/covid-19/ to help provide you with the most current information possible.

To reiterate: Until further notice, Rice Lake Utilities is asking you to pay your bills by mailing a check or dropping your payment in one of our drop box locations. Another means of payment is online. Continue to check our Facebook page and our utility web site at www.ricelakeutilities.com.

Thank you for your understanding, assistance, and cooperation.

Sincerely,

Leo J Diehl

General Manager and C.E.O.

Rice Lake Utilities

Rice Lake Utility Commission

President: Susan Dietz

Commissioners: Mark O’Brien, Dr. Dan Wolner, David Armstrong, and Joe Huftel

On March 22, 2020, Governor Evers exercised his authority under Wis. Stat. § 323.12(4)(d) and issued Emergency Order #11, temporarily suspending certain provisions of Wis. Admin. Code chs. PSC 113, 134, and 185 relating to service rules for electric, natural gas, and water public utilities. As detailed in the Emergency Order, the provisions of Wis. Admin. Code chs. PSC 113, 134, and 185, that are suspended:

• Authorize public utilities to waive late fees.
• Temporarily suspend disconnections, other than those needed for safety reasons.
• Enable customers who are unable to make a cash deposit to obtain residential service.
• Ensure that deferred payment agreements are available not only to residential customers but also commercial, farm, and industrial customers.
• Streamline the process for customers to apply for utility service.

The Emergency Order also expressly recognizes the authority of the Commission under Wis. Stat. §§ 196.02(1) and 196.70, and Wis. Admin. Code §§ PSC 113.01(2), PSC 134.01(2), and PSC 185.11(4) to issue orders, give special or individual consideration to exceptional and unusual circumstances, or adopt requirements as to individual utilities or services necessary to respond to the public health emergency. To that end, the Commission is initiating an investigation on its own motion in docket 5-UI-120 to ensure safe, reliable, and affordable utility service during the declared health emergency.

Precautionary Chlorination

Rice Lake Utilities will be conducting its quarterly precautionary chlorination of the system a little earlier than stated, starting on Wednesday, April 1 and running through April 15. These precautionary chlorinations are intended to help fight biofilm in our water towers and also disinfect water mains in the distribution system during the construction season.

If you have any questions please contact the Rice Lake Utilities office at (715) 234-7004 from 7 A.M. to 4 P.M. Thanks for your patience.