City owned and operated utilities offer consumer protection at its very best. The City of Olivia owns, manages, maintains and operates water, waste water, storm water, and electric utilities. Municipal Utilities are YOUR utilities and we invite you to contact us with any questions or information you may have concerning utility matters. By everyone working together we will maintain reliable and economical Municipal Utilities which can continue to benefit our community in the future as they have in the past.
Electric
Along with eleven other Minnesota cities, Olivia is a member of the “Minnesota Municipal Power Agencies (MMPA)” organization. Approximately 29% of our electricity is purchased from MMPA. The other 71% of our power comes from the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), a power marketing administration with the US Department of Energy. Our long term contract with WAPA is what allows us to maintain some of the lowest electric rates in the state.
Although the City of Olivia owns the electric utility, maintenance of the electric system is managed and maintained through a contract with Missouri River Energy Services (MRES). The Missouri River Energy employees are responsible for the day to day management of Olivia's electric distribution system.
Clean Energy Choice
If you wish, you can choose to have more of your home's electricity come from renewable energy sources. As mentioned above, approximately 71% of the electricity you use each month comes from Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), and 100% of that power is from a renewable source (hydroelectric). The other 29% of the electricity you use each month comes from Minnesota Municipal Power Agency (MMPA). But, only 17% of that MMPA power comes from renewable sources. When the power from both sources is combined, approximately 77% of the electricity used in Olivia is from renewable sources. The Clean Energy Choice program, offered by MMPA through the City of Olivia, gives you the opportunity to help increase that number even further.
New Utility Customers
Effective May 22, 2014, Ordinance 2014-02 established that all utility accounts shall be assigned to owners of the property served. The ordinance also authorizes the City to certify delinquent utility accounts to the property being served by municipal utilities after formal notices are sent and a public hearing is held.
Owner Occupied Property: To have a utility account established in your name, you will need to complete both sides of an application for utility service and provide a photo ID in person at City Hall.
Rental Property: The property owner or their authorized agent (property manager) is responsible to notify the City of the names and mailing addresses of tenant at their properties. If the property owner wishes the tenant to receive a copy of the utility bill, the owner must complete a Utility Account Release Authorization.
The Minnesota Cold Weather Rule gives you certain rights and responsibilities while granting protection from electric utility disconnection from October 15th through April 15th.
We encourage our residents to conserve electricity, and to that end we offer rebates on certain Energy Star qualified appliances. Information on our Energy Star Appliance Rebate Program.
If you want to conserve energy used for lighting but aren't sure which type or size of efficient lighting is right for you, check out our Light Bulb Tutorial. And don't miss the Right Light Guide- this handy reference guide was developed for us by the Minnesota Clean Energy Resource Team (MnCERTs). For more information about clean energy resources, visit their website.
While our electric rates are very affordable, there is a way for you to save even more on your electric costs. Check out the City's Load Management Program and Dual Fuel Program for more details.
Do you know how much it costs to run that little electric heater? How about leaving the porch light on all night? What's the cost of a standard incandescent bulb compared to a CFL or LED? Or leaving a radio play all day to keep the dog company? Here's a calculator to help you figure out how much you spend on such things. Simply enter the number of watts (example - enter 60 for a 60 watt bulb, or 1500 for a 1500 watt heater). Then enter the number of hours that item is on each day. The result will tell you how much it cost you to operate that item for that number of hours, based on our present residential electric rate.
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The City Of Olivia contracts with West Central Sanitation for garbage/refuse service. You should contact them directly to begin or make change to your service. They will be happy to answer any questions you may have about this service. Go to their website or call them at 1-(800) 246-7630.
The Salvation Army HeatShare program provides assistance to those struggling to pay their heating bills, and have exhausted all other avenues.
If you don’t have a separate lawn water meter in your house and you need to fill a swimming pool, it could get expensive because you would have to pay both water and sewer charges – until now. The City of Olivia now has a designated water meter that you can borrow to meter the water that you use for filling your pool. The sewer charges related to that water will then be reduced on your next bill. Just connect the meter to your outside faucet (or to a hose coming from the faucet), then connect a hose to the outlet side of the meter.
You will be required to pay a $20 deposit when you check out the meter, but the deposit will be refunded if the meter is returned within three days, with no damage. Contact City Hall, 523-2361, if you have any questions.
The storm sewer system is maintained by the Public Works department. They continually strive to keep catch basins free of debris that would otherwise block storm water from entering the system. You can help by picking up and properly disposing of small twigs and branches that might find their way to the catch basin grates near your home. Also, after mowing your lawn you should remove grass clippings from the street and gutter so they don't enter the storm water system. In the Fall, try to keep leaves out of the streets and gutters, and away from the catch basin grates.
The Water/Wastewater department ensures the city water supply is safe to drink, use for cooking and bathing, etc. They are also responsible for treating wastewater sewage to make sure it is well within government established standards before being released. The Water/Wastewater department also maintains all the water and sewer lines in the City of Olivia.
Utilities Goals
- To supply competitive cost/quality services to Olivia residents, businesses and industry.
- To protect, promote and preserve the utility systems in order to provide future generations with these essentials and cost effective community services.
- To enhance the development of Olivia by providing necessary utility requirements when and where needed both today and in the future.
