FAQs

You may request to have your electric and/or water services connected or disconnected by calling the Billing Department at (605) 697-8467 or by filling out these forms.

Note: A 24-hour notice is needed before service can be connected or disconnected. Services can be connected or disconnected during normal business hours, Monday-Friday 8am-5pm. A deposit may also be required prior to obtaining service.

Bills are mailed the last working day of each month. If you did not receive your bill, contact the Billing Department at (605) 697-8467.

Guidance is provided here: How to Read Your Bill.

The bill you are seeing this month is for utility usage roughly between the midpoint of the previous month to the midpoint of the current month. For example, your July bill (Due Aug. 15) would be for utilities used from mid-June to mid-July. BMU bills you for your service once it has occurred.

Login to your account here, then go to the ‘My Profile’ section, from there you can sign up for E-Bill under the Accounts area.

A $20 (+tax) charge is issued as a one-time administrative fee related to a recent move or change to your account.

Your bill can be viewed through your online account. If you don’t have one yet, registration is easy – it takes just a few minutes. Register or login here.

Questions about your utility bill should be directed to the Billing Department at (605) 697-8467 or submit your question online here.

To update your billing (mailing) address without changing your service address, please contact a Billing Representative online here, or by telephone at (605) 697-8467.

Yes, please reach out to our Billing Department at (605) 697-8467 or by filling out this form.

Please reach out to our Billing Department at (605) 697-8467 or contact us online here.

An unusually high water bill is most often caused by a leak or change in water use. Some common causes of high water bills include:

• A leaking toilet, or a toilet that continues to run after being flushed
• Number of days in the billing period
• Watering the lawn, new grass, or trees
• Water softener problems
• A dripping faucet, which can waste 20 gallons of water a day or more
• Filling or topping off a swimming pool
• Kids home on school holidays
• Guests in your home
• Water-cooled air conditioners
• A broken water pipe or obvious leak
• Running the water to avoid freezing water pipes

An unusually high electric bill is most often caused by a change in electric usage. Some common causes of high electric bills include:

• Running a space heater
• Change/addition of an appliance
• Old appliances wearing out
• Electric water heater failing
• In floor heat running
• Use of a dehumidifier
• Change/addition of heating/cooling source
• Change in the weather outside
• Number of days in the billing period

The Winter Residential City Monthly Average (WRCMA) is calculated each year after the March billing cycle. WRCMA is calculated using the usage data from the December-March billing periods of the immediately preceding three years.

Each customer is assigned a Summer Peak Usage Adjustment Level (SPUAL). The SPUAL will be set at an amount equal to 300% of the greater of the Winter Residential City Monthly Average (WRCMA) or the average of the customer’s most recent monthly usage for the months of December-March at the customer’s current service address.

Any customer who does not have water usage history with BMU at the service address will be assigned the WRCMA for purposes of computing their SPUAL.

All water consumed above the assigned SPUAL on bills dated July, August, and September will be billed at the rate of two times the published rate and two times the surcharge rate per 100 cubic feet of water.

Regular bills are due on the 15th of each month.

Unfortunately, you can't. All regular bills are due on the 15th of each month.

• Automatic Withdrawal: Automatic Bankdraft Authorization Form
• Pay Your Bill Online
• Drop Box: located on the North side of our building drive-thru, available 24/7
• Mail: Brookings Municipal Utilities, PO Box 588, Brookings, SD 57006
• Phone Payments: (605) 697-8468
• In-Person Payments: 525 Western Ave, Brookings, SD 57006

Yes! Your utility bill can be automatically deducted from your checking account or from your card. Automatic payments are processed on the 10th, or the next working day of each month.

• To sign up for automatic monthly recurring payments deducted from your checking account, please complete this form.
• To sign up for automatic monthly recurring credit card payments, sign up here.

We do not charge late fees. However, it is important to pay your bill on time so you do not risk having your utility services disconnected.

We do not charge additional processing fees for card transactions.

In the event that Brookings Municipal Utilities receives a return check/bankdraft/credit card/e-check on an account, a return payment fee of $25.00 per item will be added to your account. If you have three returned payments within a 12-month period, you must pay your bills in cash for a period of one year.

If you are unable to pay your bill by the 15th of the month, please contact our Collections department at (605) 697-8424. Unpaid past-due bills may result in your utility services being disconnected.

When an account becomes delinquent, a notice will be sent. Upon receiving the notice, customers should contact our office to make payment. If the account remains unpaid, utility service will be disconnected. The disconnection will be done during normal business hours.

Before service is restored, a reconnection fee will be charged in addition to payment of the balance due. A deposit may also be required prior to restoring service.

A deposit may be required to obtain service or to reconnect service after a disconnection for nonpayment. A deposit is equal to a two months’ average billing. A deposit is required for all commercial accounts.

When the customer has not been delinquent in payment of bills for service for twelve (12) consecutive months, BMU will refund the deposit to the customer of record in the form of a deposit refund check or a credit to the customer’s bill.

• If you live south of 8th Street South:
  • Garbage and yard waste will be picked up on Mondays
  • Recycling and yard waste will be picked up on Thursdays
• If you live north of 8th Street South:
  • Garbage and yard waste will be picked up on Tuesdays
  • Recycling and yard waste will be picked up on Fridays
• For more information regarding garbage, recycling, and yard waste collection please visit here.

Visit here for more information regarding rebates.