PSC 185.12 Note
(b) Social security representative payee;
PSC 185.12 Note
(c) General relief voucher payment systems;
PSC 185.12 Note
(d) Legal guardian.
PSC 185.12 History
History: Cr.
Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97; correction in (19) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register October 2001 No. 550;
CR 11-039: cr. (3e), (3m), (3s), (4m), (10e), (10m), (10s), (11m), (12m), (17m), (20g), (20r), (22)
Register July 2012 No. 679, eff. 8-1-12; (4m) renum. to (3s) under s. 13.92 (4) (b) 1., Stats.,
Register July 2012 No. 679.
PSC 185.13
PSC 185.13
General requirement. Every utility shall furnish reasonably adequate service and facilities at the rates filed with the commission and subject to this chapter and the rules of the utility that are on file with the commission.
PSC 185.13 History
History: Cr.
Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97.
PSC 185.15
PSC 185.15
Free or discriminatory service prohibited. No utility shall provide water service free or at a rate different than provided for in its rates. (See ss.
196.22 and
196.60, Stats.) This section applies to, but is not limited to, water service for all nonutility municipal purposes such as street and sewer flushing, and service to nonutility public buildings.
PSC 185.15 History
History: Cr.
Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97.
PSC 185.16
PSC 185.16
Protection of water utility facilities. PSC 185.16(1)(1) A water public utility upon receipt of written notice as required by s.
66.0831, Stats., from the property owner or from a contractor of work which may affect its facilities used for serving the public:
PSC 185.16(1)(a)
(a) Shall investigate and decide what action, if any, may reasonably be taken to protect or alter utility facilities in order to protect service to the public and to avoid unnecessary damage, such as identifying in a suitable manner the location of any underground utility facilities which may be affected by the work.
PSC 185.16(1)(b)
(b) Shall take such action as is reasonably and legally necessary to protect, remove, alter, or reconstruct its facilities, and shall perform this work with reasonable dispatch taking into account the conditions to be met, provided that nothing in this section shall be deemed to affect any right which the utility may have to require advance payment or adequate assurance of payment of the reasonable cost to the utility by the property owner or contractor.
PSC 185.16(1)(c)
(c) May, in order to protect its interests, require that the owner or contractor perform certain work upon or removal of that part of the service piping from the property upon which the excavating, building, or wrecking operations are being performed.
PSC 185.16(2)
(2) This section is not intended to affect the responsibility of the contractor or owner, or the liability or legal rights of any party.
PSC 185.16 History
History: Cr.
Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97; correction in (1) (intro.) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register October 2001 No. 550.
PSC 185.17
PSC 185.17
Interference with public service structures. PSC 185.17(1)(1) No utility having any work upon, over, along, or under any public street or highway or upon, over, along, or under any private property shall interfere with, destroy, or disturb the structures of any other public service corporation or railroad encountered in the performance of such work so as to interrupt, impair, or affect the public service for which such structures may be used, without first reaching an agreement concerning the location and the nature of the proposed work.
PSC 185.17(2)
(2) A utility shall exercise care when working in close proximity to existing facilities. When the facilities are underground and are to be exposed or possibly may be exposed, hand digging shall be employed. In these cases, such support as may be reasonably necessary for protection of the facilities shall be provided in and near the construction area. When backfilling an excavation, such procedures and materials shall be employed to provide reliable support for existing underground facilities in and near the construction area.
PSC 185.17(3)
(3) A utility shall, in the absence of working arrangements, give at least a 3-day written notice (not counting Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays) to all utilities or railroads and to those who may have facilities in and near the construction area which may be affected by the proposed work. The utility proposing to work shall obtain from the affected party the location of the existing facilities determined to be affected or to be in and near the construction area. Contacting a one-call system, such as the diggers' hot line system established under s.
182.0175 (1m), Stats., shall constitute compliance with this subsection.
PSC 185.17(4)
(4) A utility upon receiving a notice of proposed construction shall furnish in 3 days detailed information relative to location and type of facilities that are present in the proposed construction area. Where practical in those cases where the facilities are underground, they shall be marked physically in the field relative to location.
PSC 185.17(5)
(5) Nothing in this section shall prevent a utility from proceeding as quickly as possible with any emergency construction work which might interfere with existing facilities. However, all reasonable precautions shall be taken to avoid or minimize damage or interference to the other facilities and notification shall be given as soon as possible to the utilities which have facilities in the construction area.
PSC 185.17 History
History: Cr.
Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97; correction in (3) made under s. 13.93 (2m) (b) 7., Stats.,
Register April 2007 No. 616.
PSC 185.18
PSC 185.18
Location of records. All records required or necessary for the administration of this chapter shall be kept within this state unless otherwise authorized by the commission. These records shall be available for examination by the commission or its authorized representative at all reasonable hours. (See s.
196.06 (6), Stats.)
PSC 185.18 History
History: Cr.
Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97.
PSC 185.19(1)
(1) The following records shall be preserved and kept available for inspection by the commission for the period indicated. The list is not to be taken as comprehending all types of utility records.
-
See PDF for table 
* Where practicable shall be placed in mortality study before destroying.
** Where machine billing is used and meter readings recorded on tabulated cards, the register sheets may be considered to be "meter reading sheets" and the "billing records." Meter reading sheets and billing records or the register sheets shall be kept 6 years or until they are no longer needed to adjust bills. This means that the records shall be kept 6 years or from the date of one meter test to the next, whichever is longer.
PSC 185.19 Note
Note: See also "Regulations to Govern the Preservation of Records of Electric, Gas and Water Utilities" adopted by the commission in docket 2-U-5005, April 27, 1981, for a more comprehensive listing of retention periods of specific records.
PSC 185.19(2)
(2) A utility may apply for a waiver from any portion of
pars. (a) through (e) of this section. Such application shall include a list of the paragraphs to which the waiver would apply. Also, include the reasons the utility believes it cannot or shall not have to comply with
pars. (a) through (e) and the impacts such a waiver would have on the utility's ability to maintain usable continuing property records, if any.
PSC 185.19 History
History: Cr.
Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97.
PSC 185.21
PSC 185.21
Schedules to be filed with the commission. PSC 185.21(1)(1)
Included in schedules. The schedules of rates and rules shall be filed with the commission by the utility and shall be classified, designated, arranged, and submitted so as to conform to the requirements of the current tariff or rate schedules and the special instructions which have been and may from time to time be issued by the commission. Provisions of the schedules shall be definite and so stated as to minimize ambiguity or the possibility of misinterpretation, and shall include, together with such other information as may be deemed pertinent, the following:
PSC 185.21(1)(a)
(a) All rates for service with indication for each rate of the class of customers to which it applies. There shall also be shown any limitations on the service furnished under such rate, the prices per unit of service, and the number of units per billing period to which the prices apply, the period of billing, the minimum bill, method of measuring demands (where applicable) and consumptions, and any special terms and conditions applicable. The charge for late payment, if any, and the period during which the bill may be paid without late payment charge shall be specified;
PSC 185.21(1)(b)
(b) At commission discretion a copy of each contract or the standard contract form with a summary of the provisions of each signed contract may be required if service to other utilities or municipalities for resale is furnished at a standard filed rate;
PSC 185.21(1)(c)
(c) Extension rules for extending service to new customers indicating what portion of the extension or cost shall be furnished by the utility, and if the rule is based on cost, the items of cost included;
PSC 185.21(1)(d)
(d) Designation of such portion of the service facilities as the utility furnishes, owns, and maintains;
PSC 185.21(1)(e)
(e) Rules with which prospective customers shall comply as a condition of receiving service and the terms of any contracts required;
PSC 185.21(1)(f)
(f) Rules governing the establishing of credit by customers for payment of service bills;
PSC 185.21(1)(g)
(g) Rules governing the procedures followed in disconnecting and reconnecting service;
PSC 185.21(1)(h)
(h) Notice required from customer for having service disconnected;
PSC 185.21(1)(i)
(i) Rules governing temporary, emergency, auxiliary, and standby service;
PSC 185.21(1)(j)
(j) Rules governing any limitations on the type of equipment which may or may not be connected;
PSC 185.21(1)(k)
(k) A list of the municipalities in which service is rendered and the rates under which service shall be provided.
PSC 185.21(2)(a)(a) A public utility shall adopt general service water rates that reflect the cost of service for each class of customer and include a volume charge based on actual customer consumption.
PSC 185.21(2)(b)
(b) A public utility may not adopt a rate under
par. (a) if the commission finds that the rate is discriminatory or otherwise not in the public interest.
PSC 185.21(2)(c)
(c) The commission may approve rates that promote efficient water use.
PSC 185.21(2)(d)
(d) A utility may adopt rates that treat multi-family residential customers as a separate customer class.
PSC 185.21 History
History: Cr.
Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97;
CR 11-039: renum. (intro.) to (1) (intro.), cr. (1) (title), (2)
Register July 2012 No. 679, eff. 8-1-12.
PSC 185.22
PSC 185.22
Information available to customers. PSC 185.22(1)(1) A utility shall have copies of its rates and rules applicable to the locality available in its office where payments are received and at area libraries. A utility shall give reasonable notice to customers as to where the information is available to them.
PSC 185.22(2)
(2) Each water utility, for every municipality in which it serves, shall provide in the respective telephone directories a telephone listing by which the utility shall be notified during a 24-hour day of any utility service deficiency or emergency which may exist.
PSC 185.22(3)
(3) Where a second language is common in a particular area served by the utility and so identified by the commission, all rules pertaining to billing and credit shall be available upon customer request for distribution in English and that second language in every business office of the utility in that area accessible to the public and where customer payments are received.
PSC 185.22(4)
(4) Each utility shall have available and provide upon request written notice to its existing residential customers, and a written notice to all new residential customers, at a minimum, of the rules on deposits, payment options including deferred payment agreements and budget billing, disconnection, and dispute procedures. Such notice shall contain a reply procedure to allow customers an opportunity to advise the utility of any special circumstances, such as the presence of infants or elderly persons or the use of human life-sustaining equipment, and to advise the utility to contact a specific third-party agency or individual prior to any disconnection action being taken.
PSC 185.22(5)(a)(a) A utility shall provide customer usage and billing history on request to current or prospective customers, tenants, or property owners. This information shall include either the average consumption for the prior 12-month period or figures reflecting the highest and lowest consumption amounts for the previous 12 months. Provision of this information is neither a breach of customer confidentiality nor a guarantee or contract by the utility as to future consumption levels for the premises in question.
PSC 185.22(5)(b)
(b) Upon a residential customer request, the public utility shall provide consumption information by billing periods for at least the last year and information and instructions needed by the customer to make consumption comparisons to similar residential customers in the same class and to evaluate water conservation efforts.
PSC 185.22 Note
Note: The information in subs. (1) - (5) is contained in the commission's residential customer bill of rights.
PSC 185.22 History
History: Cr.
Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97;
CR 01-033: am. (1),
Register October 2001 No. 550, eff. 11-1-01;
CR 11-039: renum. (5) to (5) (a), (5) (b) renum. from 185.33 (2)
Register July 2012 No. 679, eff. 8-1-12.
PSC 185.31(1)(1) Except where otherwise authorized by the commission, all water sold by a utility shall be on the basis of meter measurement except that the volume of water used for fire protection, street or sewer flushing, construction, or similar purposes where metering is not practicable may be estimated. (See
s. PSC 185.15.)
PSC 185.31(2)
(2) Wherever practicable, consumption of water within the utility itself, or by administrative units associated with it or with the municipality shall be metered.
PSC 185.31 History
History: Cr.
Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97.
PSC 185.32
PSC 185.32
Meter readings and billing periods. Readings of all meters used for determining charges to customers shall be taken by the utility monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, or for such other period or in such other manner as may be authorized by law. An effort shall be made to read meters on corresponding days of each meter-reading period. The meter-reading date may be advanced or postponed not more than 10 days without adjustment of the billing period. Bills for service shall be rendered within 50 days from the reading of the meter except as may be otherwise specifically authorized by the commission. The utility may permit the customer to supply the meter readings. Meter readings supplied by the customer or third party, acceptable to the utility, shall be considered the actual reading. The utility is obligated, upon request, to obtain a final read from both the base and ROM meters when there is a change of customers. The utility shall make reasonable efforts to read the meters of customers who cannot be available during normal business hours and when there is a change of customer. The utility may make a final read through AMR technology if available.
PSC 185.32 History
History: Cr.
Register, January, 1997, No. 493, eff. 2-1-97.
PSC 185.33(1)(1) For each bill provided by the utility, the customer's receipt shall show for each meter the following information:
PSC 185.33(1)(a)
(a) The billing address, and service address, if different from the billing address;
PSC 185.33(1)(f)
(f) The rate schedule under which the bill is calculated including the itemized calculations of the rate schedule component including, but not limited to, such items as customer charge, volume blocks, demand charges, minimum bills, and all other billing factors necessary for the customer to check the calculation of the bill. In lieu of including the rate schedule on the bill the utility may, whenever a rate change becomes effective and at least once a year, supply each customer with the schedule of rates at which the bills are computed and any other rates that might be applicable;
PSC 185.33(1)(g)
(g) Clear itemization of the amount of the bill for the present billing period and any unpaid balance from previous billing periods including any late payment charges;
PSC 185.33(1m)
(1m) A public utility that calculates its volume charges in units of cubic feet shall include customer usage in both cubic feet and gallons on the customer bill or provide a formula for converting usage in cubic feet to gallons on the customer bill. In lieu of providing the information on the customer bill, a public utility may provide the information in a document provided to each customer under
sub. (1) (f).
PSC 185.33(3)
(3) Estimated bills shall be distinctly marked as such.
PSC 185.33(4)
(4) Any partial payments received should be applied to the customer's account in the following order:
PSC 185.33(4)(e)
(e) Nonutility charges (e.g., charges for municipal fees or licenses, contracted sewer billing services, or penalties levied under municipal ordinances).
PSC 185.33(5)
(5) Where the billings also include charges for other utility services, including sewer service billed on a volumetric basis, payment for current service or arrears should be applied on a prorata basis.
PSC 185.33(6)
(6) Upon customer request, or at the discretion of the utility, partial payments may be allocated differently than set forth above provided that such allocation does not result in a disconnection of service or the imposition of a late payment penalty which would not have occurred under the allocation methodology set forth above.
PSC 185.33(7)
(7) Costs or fees incurred by and awarded to the utility by a court of law, for pursuing bill collection through other agencies, such as small claims courts, or extraordinary collection charges as allowed and specified in the utility's tariffs filed with the commission, may be included on the utility service bill. Such tariffs shall be established on the basis of rate case proceedings or generic proceedings to establish the reasonableness of such charges.
