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October 02, 2025
Mayor’s Office Finance Water Solid Waste City Desk

City Announces Changes to Utility Billing, Landfill Disposal Coupon System

City Announces Changes to Utility Billing, Landfill Disposal Coupon System

CITY ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO UTILITY BILLING, LANDFILL DISPOSAL COUPON SYSTEM

RAPID CITY, SD—Effective this month (October), the City of Rapid City is updating its utility billing process and free landfill disposal program in order to reduce costs, improve efficiency, and provide better service to residents.

       For many years, utility bills were printed on specialized paper that allowed customers to retain a portion of the bill that could be used for free landfill disposal. While the system reduced fraud, it also required the City to maintain expensive printers, purchase specialized paper, and rely on outdated processes that are no longer supported by industry vendors. Continuing this format would increase costs by as much as $50,000 annually.

       Beginning with bills in October, utility bills will arrive on plain paper in standard envelopes. To ensure residents continue to enjoy their free landfill disposal benefit, the City is introducing a new coupon system. Each account holder can request a coupon sheet, with coupons for the same number of landfill trips they currently receive using their monthly bills.

       “Modernizing our billing system allows us to save taxpayer dollars, provide improved service, and open the door to new options like e-billing,” said Shannon Truax, Public Works Administration Operations Manager.

        Instead of presenting a bill at the landfill, customers will hand over a coupon to the scale house operator. City Public Works officials say the change reduces confusion, eliminates the need to bring the correct portion of a bill, and gives the City better data to track program usage and costs. The new coupon design also reduces the potential for fraud.

       The weblink for requesting coupons online is now available at https://forms.rcgov.org/coupons

Key Benefits of the New System

  • Saves the City significant printing and postage costs.
  • Preserves the free landfill disposal benefit for residents.
  • Reduces customer frustration with misplaced or incorrect bill pages.
  • Provides better data to track usage and operational costs.
  • Allows the City to move toward modern conveniences such as e-billing.

       “The only change to the program is how you will access it. Everything else is staying the same. We expect some overlap between the old process and the new one. We are committed to making the transition happen as smoothly as possible. Through the end of the year, customers can continue to use their old bills to access the free disposal service or request a limited number of coupons to get them through to the end of the year.” Truax said.

         Truax says beginning in January 2026, only coupons will be accepted for disposal services. For questions about the new billing format or to request landfill coupons, residents can contact the Public Works Support Services by phone at (605) 791-5577 or email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

1. Why is the City changing the utility bill format?

The old bills used specialized paper and printers that are now outdated and expensive. Vendors are no longer supporting this format, and continuing it would cost the City up to $50,000 more each year. Switching to plain paper and standard envelopes saves money and lets us move toward offering e-billing in the future.

2. Will I still get free landfill disposal?

Yes! The free landfill disposal benefit is not changing or going away. Instead of using your monthly bill, you’ll use coupons provided by the City.

3. How will the new coupon system work?

 Each household will receive a sheet of 12coupons in the mail. This is the same number of landfill trips you currently get with your utility bill.

 When you go to the landfill, hand a coupon to the scale house operator. That’s it!

4. Why use coupons instead of the bill?

 It reduces customer frustration (many people accidentally brought the wrong part of the bill and were turned away).

 Coupons are easier to use and harder to copy fraudulently.

 Coupons let the City track how often the program is used, which helps us measure costs and improve the service.

5. Can I still use my bill at the landfill?

The old style of bills will be accepted until December 31, 2025. Beginning January 1, 2026 only coupons will be accepted for free disposal.

6. How do I get my coupons?

Call: Public Works Support Services at (605) 791-5577

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Online Request: https://forms.rcgov.org/coupons

 Give us the account holder name, account number, and service address.

 Coupons will be mailed to the address on file with Utility Billing

7. Will I still get the same number of free trips to the landfill?

Yes. The number of free disposals is not changing — just the way you access them.

8. How long are the coupons good for?

Coupons are valid during the calendar year they are issued, so they will expire on January 1 of the following year.

9. What if I lose my coupons?

Coupons are treated like cash. If they are lost or misplaced, they cannot be reissued. We recommend keeping them in a safe place, like with your utility bill records.

10. Can coupons be copied or shared?

No. Coupons are uniquely designed to prevent fraud. Each coupon can only be used once and must be surrendered at the landfill.

11. Who can I contact with questions?

Public Works Support Services: (605) 791-5577 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

 

 

 

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