• There are 2,275,000 gallons of water in storage facilities (reservoirs and towers)
• The water filtration / treatment plant processes approximately 500,000,000 gallons of purified water each year. 
• The filtration plant has a capacity of 4,400,000 gallons per day with an average demand of 2,270,000 gallons per day
• The City adds fluoride to our municipal drinking water at a dosage of .7ppm as required by the Minnesota Department of Health

Fergus Falls produces an annual water quality report that contains information regarding testing and analysis required by the federal government.  The report helps us inform citizens about Fergus Falls' outstanding water supply and treatment system.  All the tests show that Fergus Falls' water meets or exceeds federal standards established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. If you would like a paper copy of the Water Quality Report, please call 218-332-5435.

Property owners also own their water service from the curb stop (shut-off valve) to the building. The City owns and maintains the water main which is generally located in the middle of the street.  It is illegal for anyone other than the City of Fergus Falls to turn on or off water to a property.

• Sewer usage is billed according to the actual water used during the first quarter of each year
• The sewer charge remains constant for one year
• Each residential household is billed a monthly flat charge along with a flow usage charge for each 1,000 gallons of water used
• The city has approximately 500 miles of collection lines which primary function by gravity flow
• The Fergus Falls treatment plant was built in 1984
• The average daily flow through the wastewater system is approximately 2.1 MGD with the maximum peak daily flow of 5.83 MGD.

As a property owner, you own your sewer service from the building to the City sewer main.  The City owns and maintains the sewer main which is generally located in the middle of the street.  The City cleans and inspects the main lines each year.  Maintenance crews use a high pressure jet of water to clean the walls of the sewer main and push material and debris downstream where it can be removed at a manhole.

Slow Drains - When you experience slow drains or sewer back-up, it is important to call the Public Works Department in addition to calling your plumber.  We will inspect the City sewer main and determine if the blockage is in the mainline or the private service line.  If the problem is in the City main, we can alleviate the problem at no cost to you.  If the problem is in the private sewer line, staff will advise you of any action you should take.

 The most common causes of sewer backups are:

• Putting items down your drain that should be put into your garbage
• Invasive tree roots
• Sewer Pipe problems (private and / or City Main)

Sewer odors occur when basement floor drains have dried up and allow sewer gas to enter the home.  These drains need to be checked periodically and refilled with water.  Pour water into the drain to keep it filled.  If the odor persists, call the Public Works Department at (218) 332-5435.

Things to remember: 

• Call the Public Works Department at (218) 332-5435 whenever your private contractor cleans your service line.  This helps prevent roots and debris from getting pushed out of your private service line to the city mainline and cause a backup.
• Permits are required when digging up service lines.  
• Call Gopher One at (800)252-1166 to locate utilities prior to digging.
  
  "Flushable" Wipes Video

Ordinance 26, Eighth Series

§ 52.19 REPAIRS OF LEAKS, STOPPAGE, BREAKS, INTERRUPTED SERVICE

             (A)       It shall be the responsibility of the City to maintain the service pipe from the water main up to and including the curb stop (shut-off valve) within its public right of way.  It shall be the responsibility of the property owner to maintain the water line from the curb stop (shut-off valve) into the house or building. In case of failure upon the part of any consumer or owner to repair any leak occurring in his or her service pipe within 24 hours after oral or written notice has been given the owner or occupant of the premises, the water will be shut off and will not be turned on until a re-connection fee has been paid and the water service has been repaired. When the waste of water is great, or when damage is likely to result from the leak, the water will be turned off if the repair is not proceeded with immediately.

             (B)       No claim may be made against the City because of any breaking of any water main, service pipe, or fixture or for any other interruption of supply.

 § 53.05 REPAIRS OF LEAKS OR STOPPAGE

             (A)       The property owner is responsible for all maintenance and repairs to the sanitary sewer service line between the sewer main and the building being served.

             (B)       The costs to restore bituminous and curb and gutter for any maintenance or repair that requires excavation into a paved street shall be paid by the City provided the service pipe failure was not due to misuse by the occupants or users of the building being served.  The City’s costs only apply to restoring the street bituminous layer back to a paved street including curb and gutter and shall not include excavation, filling or replacement or repair of service lines.

             (C)       No claim may be made against the City because of any breaking of any service pipe or fixture or for interruption of services.

The Fergus Falls City Council has established a storm water drainage utility fund effective January 1, 1997.  Residences and commercial properties are charged directly for a fair share of the community's drainage expenses instead of paying for these costs through their property taxes.

The storm water utility bases the charges on the amount of runoff created by a parcel of land.  For that reason, several classifications of land uses and rates have been created to reflect differences in the amount of runoff created (i.e. parking lots cause more runoff than grassy front yards).

Why do we have a storm water drainage system?

Before people settled in Fergus Falls the natural state of the land was rolling prairie covered with grass and trees.  When it rained, the water soaked into the ground or flowed naturally to the rivers and streams. When people came to Fergus Falls, they built homes, stores, offices, and churches and paved the land with streets, parking lots and driveways.  Now when it rains, the ground cannot absorb the water as easily and more water flows off.  As the development of the land continued, it became increasingly important to control the storm water.  Storm drainage facilities had to be built, maintained and renewed in order to protect the people, reduce insurance risks, enhance the environment, protect property, improve property values and provide for safe traffic flow.

To control storm water and receive these benefits, there is a cost.  The adopted storm water utility will spread these costs to those who "create" the storm water runoff.

How will the money from the storm water utility fund be used?

1. Money is needed to operate and maintain the present storm water drainage system.  A large portion of the storm water drainage fee will be used to:
• Meet current and future state and federal regulations
• Maintain existing storm facilities so they will operate properly for years to come
• Enhance wetlands to clean storm water and retard flows
• Replace existing storm facilities that have become unusable over the years due to the natural deterioration process
• Sweep streets and pick up leaves so this material does not enter the system.
  (Note: The initial construction of a storm sewer system will still be paid by the benefited property by special assessment.)
2. Fergus Falls is a changing community.  Planning for the future as well as the present is extremely important.  A storm drainage plan will be developed and kept up to date to determine:
• Where changes or repairs to existing facilities need to be made
• Where and when future facilities will be needed
• What should be done to protect the quality of water in our lakes and stream

Please Protect Our Water Resources

Grass clippings are a significant contributor of phosphorus to our rivers and lakes.   The nutrient phosphorus harms clear, free water by creating algal blooms. This process, known as eutrophication, turns the water green, clouds the water, causes odor problems, and depletes the oxygen for fish and other species, effectively suffocating them.

If not mixed into the soil, phosphorus from lawn clippings and tree leaves left in the streets and gutters is soluble and a potential pollution source.  Please do not discharge your grass clippings/leaves or other organic debris into the street/gutter.

Public Works employees will clean catch basins periodically, the city encourages homeowners that have catch basins near their property to scoop off debris that accumulates. This will help prevent street flooding and keep the debris from entering the lake or river that receives the stormwater.

 Clean Up Storm Water Run-Off

Wetlands Near Residential Areas

Yard and Garden Care

Lake Alice Watershed Map

Utility Bill Payment Options

• Pay Your Bill Online
• Bank Withdrawal (complete form and deliver to City Hall - ACH automatically deducts payment on the due date)
• US Mail - mail to: 112 W Washington Ave - Fergus Falls, MN 56537
• Payment drop box - located in the alley behind the United States District Courthouse across from the Senior Center's back door or attached to the front of City Hall
  
• In person - front desk in City Hall by cash, check, MasterCard, Visa or Discover between the hours of 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday - Friday (excluding Holidays)
• Credit cards are only accepted online or in person

 Utility Billing and Invoices

 The City of Fergus Falls utility bill includes charges for: sewer, water, storm water, refuse collection, recycling, water shut off/on, tree management, and landfill charges.

• Water meters measure usage in gallons
• The City of Fergus Falls bills utilities monthly. Bills are mailed approximately two days prior to the last day of the month and they are due on the 15th or the next business day if the 15th is on a weekend or holiday.
• Payment types accepted include: cash, money orders, checks, credit card, and online payments
• The penalty for non-payment is calculated the day after the due date. The current penalty rate is 10%
• Disconnect notices are mailed for any account that is 60 days past due. The notice states the date services will be discontinued if the account is not paid in full.
• Delinquent notices are mailed to the owner on record every month an account is delinquent.
• If water is disconnected, the past due amount plus a re-connection fee of $50 must be paid before the service will be connected. If this re-connection is made after normal business hours (8-4:30 Monday through Friday, excluding holidays), an additional $100 will be charged.
• At the end of December the accounts that are 45 days delinquent are certified to the property taxes by the end of December

2024 Utility Rates

Form Authorizing Transfer Utility Accounts

Automatic Bank Withdrawal Form

THESE FORMS MUST BE RETURNED TO THE CITY AFTER BEING COMPLETED TO BE VALID

 For questions about utility billing, call 218-332-5454 or email

The City of Fergus Falls has completed and submitted our service line materials inventory to the Minnesota Department of Health.  The service line inventory is publicly available, and you can check for your service line by visiting the Lead Inventory Tracking Tool (LITT). To complete the service line inventory we reviewed available records, conducted property owner surveys, and conducted field inspections of service lines.  As of September 6, 2024, our inventory contains 331 lead, 32 galvanized requiring replacement, 608 unknown material, and 4,540 non-lead service lines.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and MN Department of Health have provided several resources and tools:

EPA Basic Information and Health Effects of Lead in Drinking Water 

EPA "Protect Your Tap," a quick-check guide

Download - Tips for identifying filters to reduce lead in drinking water.

MN Department of Health - Replacing Lead Service Lines

If you received a letter indicating "unknown" material, that is because we have been unable to connect with you to determine a time for inspecting your pipes. Please email Public Works to schedule an appointment. 

For more information, please call the Water Service Line Information Line: 218-332-5435.