Rochester water and sewer rates

Who supplies water to Rochester houses, what it costs, and how the sewer charge works.

Rochester Public Utilities (main system)

Rochester Public Utilities, billed monthly; 2026 residential rate $12.75 monthly customer charge (5/8" meter), a $1.15 monthly fire hydrant facilities charge, and $1.166 per CCF for 0-7 CCF, $1.301 for 7.01-12 CCF and $1.486 over 12 CCF

Use a month	Price per unit (CCF, 748 gallons)
Fixed charge	$13.90 a month
0 to 7 units	$1.17
7 to 12 units	$1.30
12 to more	$1.49

Source: Groundwater from twenty-nine wells, 389 to 981 feet deep, in the Jordan-Wonewoc, Prairie du Chien-Jordan, Prairie du Chien-Wonewoc, Jordan and Jordan-St. Lawrence aquifers
Hardness: 17 grains per gallon (280 ppm); RPU describes its water as "very hard"
Lead: 2025 tap tests: the 90% result was 7.46 ppb, 1 of 50 homes had a high level; some customer sample documentation was incomplete, and the report says firm lead levels cannot be established at this time, although available results were within regulatory limits
PFAS: PFOS highest average 1.95 ppt and PFOA 0.8 ppt, against EPA limits of 4.0 ppt each

Sewer

City of Rochester 2026 sewer charge: a $19.40 fixed charge per month plus $4.32 per Ccf. For April through December, a home is charged on its January–March average monthly water use or its actual use, whichever is less.

Other charges on the utility bill

Service Assured repair coverage, water and electric (opt-out): $3.00 a month

Ways to pay less

RPU Conserve & Save rebates on efficient equipment. RPU pays rebates on heat pumps, smart thermostats, ENERGY STAR appliances and water-saving items such as high-efficiency toilets. How: Submit an RPU rebate application; a heat pump water heater can earn $400 (20-55 gallon, up to 50% of cost).

Sources

Checked October 22, 2026. Every number here comes from the public sources listed, matched by our checker.

Rates change every year; this page shows when it was last checked. Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.