Under Wisconsin Statutes (Wis. Stat. § 196.03(3)(b)), River Falls has chosen to have the utility bill the retail general service customer for public fire protection service.
Public fire protection service includes the use of hydrants for fire protection service only and such quantities of water as may be demanded for the purpose of extinguishing fires within the service area. This service shall also include water used for testing equipment and training personnel. For all other purposes, the metered or other rates set forth, or as may be filed with the Public Service Commission, shall apply.
Public Fire Protection (PFP) Charge
The PFP charge recovers the cost of providing water for fighting fires and the extra capacity built into the system that is necessary to rapidly deliver a large volume of water to a fire anywhere within the municipality's water service area. These costs include a portion of the wells, pumps, storage facilities, water mains, hydrants and an estimated quantity of water used for this purpose.