{"id":1874,"date":"2021-12-10T17:47:12","date_gmt":"2021-12-10T17:47:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bpustaging.com\/?page_id=1874"},"modified":"2025-02-27T19:31:08","modified_gmt":"2025-02-27T19:31:08","slug":"about","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/bpu.org\/about\/","title":{"rendered":"About"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nAbout BPU\n<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/section>
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\nAbout Brainerd Public Utilities
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At Brainerd Public Utilities (BPU), our mission is simple: to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable electric, water, and wastewater services to our community. As a municipally-owned utility, we\u2019re deeply connected to the people and businesses we serve across Brainerd, portions of Baxter, and surrounding townships. Since 1892, we\u2019ve proudly provided essential services with a focus on efficiency, transparency, and community well-being.<\/p>

Brainerd Public Utilities is more than just a service provider. We\u2019re a community partner, dedicated to improving the quality of life for the residents and businesses in the Brainerd Lakes Area. As we look to the future, we remain committed to innovation, sustainability, and delivering the best possible service at the most reasonable cost.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>

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\nQuarterly Newsletter\n<\/h2>
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\nStay connected with the latest news, updates, and helpful tips from Brainerd Public Utilities through our quarterly newsletter. Each edition covers important information about our services, energy-saving advice, community events, and updates that may affect you. Mailed directly to your home every quarter, it\u2019s a convenient way to stay informed and get the most out of your utilities.
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\nElectric Department\n<\/h2>
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\nOur Electric Department ensures that customers enjoy uninterrupted power by maintaining a robust, reliable electric grid. As a public utility, we\u2019re owned and operated by the community, allowing us to focus on delivering electricity at the lowest reasonable cost. With transparent rates and no hidden fees, we aim to make energy affordable for everyone.

Our field crews are always on standby, ready to respond to outages or emergencies day or night. Their dedication to maintaining the system ensures that our customers can rely on consistent service. We continually invest in infrastructure upgrades to meet increasing energy demands and provide long-term reliability.\n<\/div>
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\nHydro Electricity Dam\n<\/h2>
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\nA key part of our renewable energy efforts is the hydroelectric dam on the Mississippi River, generating 3.2 megawatts of clean, renewable energy. This accounts for about 10.5% of the energy used by BPU customers. By utilizing the hydro dam, we reduce reliance on non-renewable energy sources, lower emissions, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

In addition to its environmental benefits, the hydro dam provides a stable and reliable source of power, even during periods of high demand or extreme weather. This helps us ensure that our customers continue to receive the electricity they need without interruption.\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>
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\nReliable Public Power Provider \n<\/h2>
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\nAt Brainerd Public Utilities, we\u2019re proud to have been designated a gold-level \"Reliable Public Power Provider\" (RP3) by the American Public Power Association. This prestigious recognition reflects our commitment to reliability, safety, workforce development, and continuous system improvement.

Our RP3 certification assures our customers that BPU meets the highest industry standards, providing top-tier service across all our departments. While the certification is valid for three years, we are committed to continuous improvement, always seeking ways to better serve our community.\n<\/div>
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\nWastewater Department\n<\/h2>
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\nBPU\u2019s Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) plays a vital role in safeguarding public health and the environment. Processing 2.2 million gallons of wastewater daily from Brainerd and Baxter, our facility is equipped to handle both typical flows and wet weather conditions.

The wastewater is transported via a state-of-the-art interceptor system to the WWTF, where it undergoes rigorous treatment before being safely discharged. Our commitment to environmental protection is reflected in the high standards of wastewater treatment we maintain, ensuring the water returned to nature is clean and safe.\n<\/div>
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\nWater Department\n<\/h2>
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\nOur Water Department is committed to delivering high-quality drinking water to our community. BPU\u2019s water filtration plant treats approximately 1.55 million gallons of water per day, primarily removing iron and manganese to improve water quality. Sourced from six deep wells, our water meets or exceeds all state and federal standards.

We use a highly effective filtration process with a 95% removal rate, ensuring clean, safe water is pumped to our distribution system and into the homes of our customers. Regular monitoring and testing ensure that our water remains pure and safe for consumption.

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About BPU About Brainerd Public Utilities At Brainerd Public Utilities (BPU), our mission is simple: to deliver safe, reliable, and affordable electric, water, and wastewater services to our community. As a municipally-owned utility, we\u2019re deeply connected to the people and businesses we serve across Brainerd, portions of Baxter, and surrounding townships. Since 1892, we\u2019ve proudly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_breakdance_hide_in_design_set":false,"_breakdance_tags":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1874","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bpu.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1874","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bpu.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bpu.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bpu.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bpu.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1874"}],"version-history":[{"count":26,"href":"https:\/\/bpu.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1874\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6620,"href":"https:\/\/bpu.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1874\/revisions\/6620"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bpu.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1874"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}