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UAB receives updates: dryer study, disconnects, groundwater report, safety awards and rate case
Summary
Staff provided the Utility Advisory Board a multi-item update covering a regional dryer-study and facilities plan, customer disconnects and payment arrangements, water reports, safety and reliability awards, the recent electric rate case, staffing changes and certifications.
Utility staff used the April 21 UAB meeting to present a broad set of operational updates and recent achievements.
West Central Biosolids and dryer study: Staff said the West Central Wisconsin Biosolids group has undertaken further studies about dryer needs and that the remaining member communities hired Strand & Associates to update a facilities plan covering 5-, 10- and 20-year scenarios. Staff noted the city previously paid Donahue and Associates about $33,000 for a dryer study and said the new Strand study will help remaining partners decide whether to stay in the regional program.
Customer outreach and disconnects: Staff said a recent disconnection moratorium had just ended and that, as of the meeting, about 31 shutoff notices remained outstanding; staff said customer-service representatives arranged about 95 payment arrangements the prior week. Staff described the utility’s active outreach and use of AMI (automated metering) to manage disconnects and payment plans.
Water resources and consumer confidence: Staff pointed to a recently posted Groundwater Availability Evaluation Report on the city website; presenters summarized the report as indicating River Falls draws from three distinct aquifers, that current water availability is steady, and that no PFAS had been detected in the system at the time of the report. Staff also noted the annual Consumer Confidence Report (water quality) is on the website and will be included in a May bill insert.
Safety and reliability awards: Staff announced the electric crew earned the American Public Power Association Diamond Safety Award and said benchmarking data shows River Falls’ average customer outage time is approximately 13 minutes annually versus a national average of about 149 minutes. Staff attributed the low outage time to targeted cable replacement (CIP), quick response, and system investments.
Rates, staffing and certifications: Staff said the Public Service Commission-approved electric rate case will increase total utility revenue by about 3.73% overall, with an average residential bill rising about 5.4% (the example cited: a 750 kWh customer from $102.90 to roughly $108.28). Staff announced recent personnel certifications and hires: a lineman (Cody Krieger) completed his apprenticeship and became a journeyman; the city hired an apprentice, Zach Kitchenmeister; and wastewater and water operators passed advanced certifications (Tim Ricksman and David Panetta scored 92 and 98, respectively) and others passed groundwater/distribution exams.
Appointments and events: Staff said Mayor Tolan will reappoint Chris Lick to the UAB and reappoint Mark Lecker at an upcoming meeting. Staff listed outreach and calendar items including Drinking Water Week and Public Power Week in May, and a late-May spring cleanup event. Staff encouraged public confidence by noting the consumer confidence report and groundwater availability evaluation document are posted on the city website.
Board members asked clarifying questions during the update about contractor oversight, cost recovery for dryer planning, and contingency plans for large-scale outages; staff said the city maintains rental agreements with equipment providers and that on-call crews respond to emergencies.
