FAQ

Your monthly bill is made up of a base charge and a usage charge for both water and sewer:

• Water base charge is $18.37 per EDU and the usage charge is $0.008155 per gallon of water used.

• Sewer base charge is $56.19 per EDU and the usage charge is $0.01541 per gallon of water used over 2,000 gallons.

These are published on the back of your bill, to the right of the sample bill. Visit our current information page for our full fee schedule.

Projected bills may be viewed on the AquaHawk portal. Registration is free.

The default estimate is the average of the 4 previous months of usage.

Estimated billing is a common practice of most utilities when readings cannot be confirmed. This could be due to a temporary issue at the time readings are taken for monthly invoicing or it could be a longer-term issue of either a malfunctioning meter or transmitter.

Projected bills can be viewed on the AquaHawk portal. Registration is free.

While higher usage than normal can be expected when performing some seasonal activities at your home such as car washing, irrigation of yard or garden, pool fill-up, or heavier laundry and shower activity while hosting visitors, it may be due to a leak somewhere in your home. This could be more obvious, such as a leak in a pipe or near your water heater, or it could be one that is less noticeable where the leak runs through the plumbing and flows out of the home through the sewer system. While not obvious, these types of leaks are fairly easy to troubleshoot.

• If all sources of water are turned off, the meter should not increase. If all are turned off, but if the meter is still running, there is likely a leak of some sort. Turn off one household item at a time until the meter stops advancing. 
• The two most common culprits of “excess water use” are toilets and water softeners, but the issue may not be obvious. Also, neither is generally a “big ticket” repair bill to address.
  • Toilets – it is often easy to notice a running toilet (heavier, audible leak), but an easy way to detect whether something is leaking that you can’t see or hear is to drop 10 to 15 drops of food coloring into the toilet tank and let it sit for 15 minutes without use. If any coloring has leaked into the bowl without flushing, there is a leak. Generally, the leak would be in or around the plunger ball or flapper valve at the bottom of the tank and the component just needs to be replaced.
  • Water Softeners – water softeners will backwash themselves with fresh water to regenerate on a set schedule that you may or may not be aware of depending on where your softener is located. Sometimes the backwash valve can get stuck open, forcing water to be continuously wasted into the sewer. This is something that you likely would not notice, but it is fairly easy to rule out as there a bypass valve which allows you to run water while the softener is not in service. You can activate this bypass and monitor for a day or two not running water through the softener and seeing if usage subsides. If you see the drop, it is likely that the softener requires service.
• Another common tactic would be to use water-saving showerheads and faucets if you are not already. A standard showerhead uses 2.5 gallons per minute, while the water saving showerheads usually use anywhere from 1.0 to 2.0 gpm. We don’t recommend any particular brands, but the EPA recommends any with a “Watersense” label. EPA estimated that updating showerheads and faucets can save an average family 40-50 gallons per day.

Register for AquaHawk and set thresholds to receive automated alerts about your water use, and to see your hourly water use.

Readings are taken on the 20th of each month. Bills are issued on the 1st and due upon receipt. Customer wishing to utilize autopay should sign up (one time only) by Noon on the 16th. Learn more about AutoPay here.

How to Read Your Bill

For your convenience, the QR Code on your bill will take you directly to the customer web portal via your smart phone’s camera feature.

Understanding Equivalent Dwelling Units (EDUs)

An Equivalent Dwelling Unit (EDU) is a standard measure used to estimate the water use or wastewater flow associated with a property. A typical single-family home or apartment unit is generally assigned 1 EDU each for water and sewer and serves as the baseline for comparing other types of properties.

 How do EDUs affect charges?

• Base rates: Monthly base charges help cover the infrastructure and system capacity needed to provide water and wastewater service. Charges are based on the number of EDUs assigned to a property and may also vary by meter size.
• Commercial and multi-unit properties: Businesses, apartment buildings, and other larger properties may be assigned multiple EDUs based on their expected water use or wastewater flow.

 How are EDU values determined?

EDU calculations may be based on actual metered use, established design standards, or other applicable criteria. Pennsylvania DEP regulations provide guidance for estimating flows. MAWSA’s applicable EDU values, gallons per day, and tapping fees are listed in the current rate schedule: here.

Planning a project?

EDU availability depends on the capacity of the water or wastewater system serving a property. Before starting a project that may require additional EDUs, contact MAWSA to confirm availability and applicable fees. Relinquishing an EDU does not entitle a property owner to a refund of the tapping fee previously paid and it means that if usage or units may change in the future, additional tapping fees will likely be required at that time.

Want an automated option? ACH/bank drafts are free to use. You may also elect to use a credit card; however, processing fees apply.

To check if you are already signed up for automated payments, please follow the directions below:

• Check your customer web portal dashboard.
• Check your monthly billing statement on the upper right corner as well as next to the amount due in the account information section.
• Still need help? Reach out to our office.

Find more information on our payments page.