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Pennsylvania high water bill guide, updated October 2026
High Water Bill in Pennsylvania: Find the Leak, Then Ask for a Credit
A water bill that suddenly doubles is almost always a leak, a running toilet or a meter problem. In Pennsylvania, what happens next depends on your water supplier. Some offer a leak credit with proof of repair. Aqua says it offers none in PA.
- Test the meter yourself in two hours with no tools
- Pittsburgh Water may cut an unknown leak bill to your 12 month average
- Every utility that credits a leak wants proof it was fixed
Calls answered day and night. Emergency? Shut off your main valve first, then call.
Quick answer
What should I do about a high water bill in Pennsylvania?
Read your meter, use no water for two hours, and read it again. If it moved, you have a leak. Find and fix it, keep the plumber’s bill or a written leak report, then call your utility. Pittsburgh Water and North Wales Water Authority publish leak credit rules; Aqua says it does not offer leak adjustments in Pennsylvania.
2 hoursEPA meter test: no water use, then compare readings
12,000 galWinter monthly use for a family of four that suggests a serious leak (EPA)
200%Usage jump North Wales Water Authority requires for a leak credit
0Leak adjustments Aqua offers in Pennsylvania, per its own page
Why your Pennsylvania water bill is suddenly high
The usual causes, in order: a running or leaking toilet, a dripping fixture, an outdoor hose or irrigation leak, a hidden leak on the service line or under the floor, and occasionally an estimated read or meter fault. A bill that stays high month after month points to a leak that is running all the time.
Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority’s help center lists running or leaking toilets, long showers and outdoor use as the most common causes. It notes a daily 20 minute shower alone can add up to 9,000 gallons a quarter. Habits matter, but a sudden jump with no change in habits is a leak until proven otherwise.
| Pattern on your bill | Most likely cause | First check |
|---|---|---|
| One high bill, then normal | Estimated read caught up, filled a pool, guests | Compare actual versus estimated reads |
| Steady jump that stays high | Toilet flapper, hidden supply leak | Toilet dye test, meter test |
| Big jump, winter | Freeze crack in basement, crawl space or service line | Look and listen near the meter and foundation |
| Big jump, summer | Irrigation, hose, pool | Shut outdoor valves and retest |
| Very large jump, wet yard | Broken service line | Walk the line from curb to house |
EPA WaterSense says a family of four using more than 12,000 gallons a month in winter probably has a serious leak. A faucet dripping once a second wastes more than 3,000 gallons a year, and a 1/32 inch irrigation leak about 6,300 gallons a month.
Step by step: test for a leak before you call anyone
You can confirm a leak in about two hours with nothing but your meter and some food coloring. These checks also tell the technician where to start, which saves time on the visit.
- Find your meter. Depending on the home, it is inside the basement or in a pit near the curb. Philadelphia Water notes shutoff valves are usually near the meter.
- Turn off every tap, appliance, humidifier and irrigation timer. Make sure no one runs water.
- Write down the reading, including the small dial or the low flow indicator.
- Wait two hours without using any water.
- Read it again. Any change means water is leaving the system somewhere.
- Add a few drops of food coloring to each toilet tank. Do not flush. Color in the bowl within 10 to 20 minutes means the flapper is leaking.
- If the toilets pass, close the main house valve and watch the meter. If it still moves, the leak is likely on the service line between the meter or curb stop and the house.
York Water’s customer education page gives the same dye test with a 15 to 20 minute wait. EPA’s version uses 10 minutes. Either works.
If the meter moves with the house valve closed, the leak is usually on your water service line. Read who owns the service line in Pennsylvania before you call the utility.
Leak credits by Pennsylvania utility
There is no statewide leak credit rule. Each utility or authority sets its own. Pittsburgh Water and North Wales Water Authority publish credit policies, Philadelphia handles disputes through the Water Revenue Bureau and a hearing process, and Aqua says it offers no leak adjustments in Pennsylvania.
| Utility | Leak credit? | What they ask for | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Water (PWSA) | May reduce the bill to your 12 month average use for an unknown leak. Discretionary. | Leak repaired, enrolled in leak alerts, plumber bill or letter, or receipts plus description if you fixed it | 412-255-2423, option 5 |
| North Wales Water Authority | Yes, up to 50% of water usage charges; sewer only if leak water did not enter the sewer | Usage over 200% of average, 1 year history, leak repaired, form within 45 days, once per 4 years | Leak Adjustment Request Form |
| Philadelphia Water / Water Revenue Bureau | No leak adjustment process published; high bill disputes go to customer service, then an informal hearing | Your account facts and documents | (215) 685-6300, wrbhelpdesk@phila.gov |
| Aqua Pennsylvania | No. Aqua states it does not offer leak adjustments in PA | Not applicable | 877-987-2782 |
| Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority | No leak credit listed; sprinkler deduct meter credits; no pool credits | Will review bills that do not match history | 215-343-2538 |
| Pennsylvania American Water | No leak credit policy found on the pages we checked | Ask customer service | 1-800-565-7292 |
| York Water | No adjustment process described | Check fixtures, then call | 717-845-3601 |
| Lancaster City Water | Not described; billing questions to Customer Service | Call billing | 717-735-3425 |
Policies checked October 2026 from each utility’s own pages. A credit is never automatic, and terms can change. Ask your utility for its current form.
Pittsburgh Water in detail
PWSA says it may lower a high bill caused by an unknown leak so you pay only your typical use, measured as the average of the 12 months before the leak started. You must repair the leak, sign up for free leak alerts in the Customer Advantage portal, and send a licensed plumber’s bill or letter describing the leak, or material receipts and a description if you fixed it yourself. See Pittsburgh Water’s leak credit page.
North Wales Water Authority in detail
If you live in a suburban town such as Lansdale or Montgomeryville, check your bill to see which authority serves you, because the rules differ. NWWA’s written policy caps credits at 50 percent of water usage charges, requires a request within 45 days of the bill showing high use, answers in writing within 30 days, and excludes pool filling, irrigation, sump pumps and neglect. Indoor leaks that drained to the sewer do not get a sewer credit.
Philadelphia in detail
Start with the Water Revenue Bureau. If you disagree with its written decision, you can file for an informal hearing before a City Hearing Officer, who issues a written decision within 60 days. You can then appeal to the Tax Review Board within 60 days of that decision. See the City’s dispute a water bill page.
Worked example: what three months of a hidden leak costs
A toilet or pipe leaking a quarter gallon per minute wastes 10,800 gallons a month. On 2026 rates that adds roughly $309 a month in Pittsburgh and about $196 a month in Philadelphia. Over a three month billing dispute, the numbers get serious.
Volume first: 0.25 gallons x 60 minutes x 24 hours x 30 days = 10,800 gallons.
| Utility | Rate used | One month | Three months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Water | $18.28 + $7.32 + $2.13 + $0.88 = $28.61 per 1,000 gal | 10.8 x $28.61 = $308.99 | $926.97 |
| Philadelphia Water | $73.13 + $5.41 + $49.53 + $7.56 = $135.63 per Mcf (7,480 gal) | 1.444 x $135.63 = $195.82 | $587.46 |
Pittsburgh rates are from PWSA’s March 2026 schedule; Philadelphia rates from the September 2026 rate notice. Pittsburgh figures exclude the 5 percent DSIC and ALCOSAN treatment charges.
What a Pittsburgh credit could look like
Say your 12 month average is 3,000 gallons and the leak month showed 13,800 gallons. The excess is 10,800 gallons, about $309 at the volume rate. If PWSA grants the credit, it bills you as if you used your 3,000 gallon average, so roughly that $309 comes off. If it does not, you pay the full amount.
What an NWWA credit could look like
NWWA caps the water credit at 50 percent of water usage charges. If the leak month’s water usage charges were $200, the most you could get back is $100 (50 percent x $200), and only if usage was over 200 percent of your average and the leak is repaired.
How a high bill leak investigation works
A technician confirms the leak at the meter, splits the system into sections, and pinpoints the source with acoustic, pressure and tracer tools. You get a written report naming the location and cause, which is the document utilities ask for.
1
Meter and history
Review bills and confirm flow with fixtures off.
2
Isolate
Close valves to split inside, outside and fixture branches.
3
Pinpoint
Listen, trace and test until the leak is marked.
4
Report
Location, cause, photos and repair advice for your utility claim.
Book a high water bill leak investigation when the meter test shows a leak and you cannot see it. If you see water in a ceiling or hear it under the floor, go straight to hidden leak detection or slab leak detection.
Do this, not that, when a bill spikes
Act fast, keep paper, and do not ignore the bill. Most credit rules have deadlines and all of them want proof. Shutoffs for nonpayment can happen while you are still hunting for the leak.
Do
- Run the meter and dye tests the day the bill arrives
- Call the utility to flag the bill and ask about deadlines
- Ask about a payment agreement if you cannot pay in full
- Keep every invoice, receipt and photo of the repair
- Enroll in leak alerts if your utility offers them
Do not
- Do not ignore the bill while you investigate
- Do not dig without calling 811 at least 3 business days ahead
- Do not throw away the failed part or the repair invoice
- Do not assume the meter is wrong without testing
- Do not miss a 45 day window like NWWA’s
This is not hypothetical. In 2011, WHYY reported a Bristol homeowner whose Aqua bill reached close to $10,000 a month from a large leak, and whose water was shut off for nonpayment before help arrived.
Philadelphia customers who cannot pay a large bill can ask about payment agreements at (215) 685-6300, and low income households can apply for the Tiered Assistance Program. Philadelphia also offers a zero interest HELP loan for homeowners facing shutoff after a defect notice for a leaking water line or sewer lateral. See PWD financial assistance.
If your utility says no
Ask for the decision in writing, then use the next step your supplier offers. For PUC regulated companies, you can contact the Public Utility Commission. Municipal authorities answer to their own boards, not the PUC.
- PUC regulated utilities: the Pennsylvania PUC regulates rates and service for more than 150 water and wastewater utilities. Its hotline is 1-800-692-7380.
- Municipal authorities and city systems: the PUC generally does not regulate these, except service outside the municipality’s boundaries. Appeal to the authority itself.
- Philadelphia: informal hearing, then Tax Review Board.
- NWWA: appeal within 10 business days of the response letter.
Winter is when high bills cluster. In January 2025 the Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County asked customers to cut use while it chased leaks after a cold snap. Customers around Greensburg and Murrysville should check bills closely after any deep freeze.
Leak Detection Services in Pennsylvania
Slab Leak Detection
Leaks under basement floors and slab additions, pinpointed through the concrete.
Water Service Line Leak Detection
The line from the curb stop or main to your house, traced and pinpointed.
Hidden Wall and Ceiling Leak Detection
Leaks behind plaster, drywall and finished basements, found without demolition.
Frozen and Burst Pipe Leak Detection
Every freeze crack found after a cold snap, including the ones not dripping yet.
Pool and Hot Tub Leak Detection
Lines, skimmers, returns, lights and shells tested so every leak point is found.
Gas Line Leak Detection
Customer-side gas leaks and failed pressure tests located for repair.
Sewer Lateral and Drain Leak Detection
Camera, sonde, smoke and flood testing for cracked laterals and drains.
Shower Pan, Tub and Toilet Leak Detection
Flood and dye testing so the right fixture gets fixed.
Irrigation and Outdoor Line Leak Detection
Zone by zone testing of sprinklers, yard hydrants and outdoor lines.
High Water Bill Leak Investigation
Meter, pressure and fixture testing plus a report for your utility.
Commercial and Multifamily Leak Detection
Risers, shared lines and tenant units traced to the source.
24/7 Emergency Leak Detection
Water through a ceiling or a meter spinning hard, answered any hour.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is my water bill so high all of a sudden?
The most common cause is a leak, usually a running toilet, a dripping fixture or a hidden supply line leak. Do the two hour meter test from EPA WaterSense to confirm before calling anyone.
Does Aqua Pennsylvania give leak adjustments?
No. Aqua’s leak adjustment page states that it does not offer leak adjustments in Pennsylvania. It offers them in some other states under limited rules.
Does Pittsburgh Water give leak credits?
It may. For an unknown leak that caused a much higher bill, PWSA may reduce the bill to your average use over the prior 12 months once the leak is fixed, you join leak alerts, and you send proof of repair.
Can I get a leak adjustment from Philadelphia Water?
Philadelphia does not publish a leak adjustment program. Contact the Water Revenue Bureau at (215) 685-6300, and if you disagree with the written decision, request an informal hearing.
What proof does a utility want for a leak credit?
Typically a plumber’s paid invoice or letter describing where the leak was and how it was fixed, or receipts and photos if you did it yourself. A written leak detection report helps.
How long do I have to request a leak credit?
It depends on the utility. North Wales Water Authority requires the request within 45 days of the high bill. Others do not publish a deadline, so ask right away.
Will my sewer charge be credited too?
Often not. NWWA, for example, credits sewer only when the leaked water did not go down the sewer, such as an outdoor hose leak. Indoor toilet leaks do not qualify.
Can my water be shut off while I dispute a bill?
It can happen if the bill goes unpaid. Call your utility, flag the dispute and ask about a payment agreement so service continues while the leak is found.
Who do I complain to about a water company in Pennsylvania?
For PUC regulated utilities, call the PUC at 1-800-692-7380. Municipal authorities and city systems are generally not PUC regulated, so appeal to the authority.
Is it the meter or a leak?
Test it. If the meter moves with every fixture off, water is going somewhere. Meter faults are much rarer than leaks, and utilities will ask for test results before checking the meter.
Hearing Water You Cannot See? Call Now.
A rising water bill, a wet basement wall or a soggy strip of lawn will not fix itself. Call any hour and we will help you find the leak, prove it and keep the repair as small as possible.
Answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Sources
- EPA WaterSense: Fix a Leak Week
- Pittsburgh Water: Leak credit
- Pittsburgh Water: Rates
- Aqua: Leak adjustment request
- North Wales Water Authority: Leak Adjustment Policy
- City of Philadelphia: Dispute a water bill
- Philadelphia Water: New rate information effective September 2026
- Philadelphia Water: Financial assistance
- Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority: Help center
- Philadelphia Water: All about frozen pipes
- York Water: Customer education center
- Lancaster City Water: Frequently asked questions
- Pennsylvania American Water: Lead and drinking water
- PA PUC: Water and wastewater
- CBS Pittsburgh: MAWC asks customers to conserve water (Jan 2025)
- WHYY: Bucks County woman getting help with $41K water bill (2011)
Pennsylvania Leak Detection is a leak detection referral service. Calls connect you with an independent local leak detection professional. Figures and utility policies were checked in October 2026 and can change; confirm with your utility.