Pittsburgh Water (formerly Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority / PWSA)
City of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas served by Pittsburgh Water
Population reference
More than 500,000 people throughout the City of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas; Pittsburgh Water is Pennsylvania's largest combined water and sewer authority and provides water, wastewater conveyance, and stormwater services.
Billing detail
Broad public detail found
Official destination
Open provider website ↗Provider-specific findings
Billing and account research from public material
Provider-specific research notes are displayed separately from fields that contain only an unavailable-information marker. Read qualifiers in each note and verify current account terms with the provider.
- Billing frequency
- Monthly. Pittsburgh Water's current customer and rate pages describe monthly bills, monthly metered water and wastewater-conveyance charges, recurring payment schedules, and a bill issued about 20 days before a Zipcheck due date.
- Rate structure
- Monthly minimum/service charge plus volumetric water and wastewater conveyance charges, a 5% Distribution System Improvement Charge, a separately identified PENNVEST charge, and a stormwater fee based on impervious-area ERUs. Effective March 8, 2026, the typical 5/8-inch residential minimum covers the first 1,000 gallons; water is $33.30 minimum plus $18.28 per full 1,000 gallons over the minimum and $2.13 per additional 1,000-gallon PENNVEST water charge. Wastewater conveyance is $8.33 minimum plus $7.32 per additional 1,000 gallons and $0.88 PENNVEST wastewater. Stormwater is $5.75 for 0.5 ERU, $11.50 for the typical 1-ERU residential tier, or $22.99 for 2 ERUs.
- Residential cost reference
- Pittsburgh Water's official 2026 sample for a typical 5/8-inch residential meter using 3,000 gallons per month totals $115.29 for Pittsburgh Water's water, PENNVEST water, wastewater conveyance, PENNVEST wastewater, DSIC, and 1-ERU stormwater charges. Pittsburgh Water bills ALCOSAN sewage treatment separately on the same statement; the sample shows an additional $44.11 ALCOSAN charge, for a combined total of $159.40. A 5,000-7,000 gallon household will usually cost more because of volumetric water and sewer charges, stormwater tier, and ALCOSAN treatment.
- Wastewater and sewer calculation
- Wastewater conveyance is billed from the gallons of metered water released into the sewer system. In the 2026 5/8-inch sample, the first 1,000 gallons carry an $8.33 minimum, then each full 1,000 gallons above the minimum is charged $7.32 plus the $0.88 PENNVEST wastewater charge; DSIC applies to water and sewer charges. Pittsburgh Water also bills ALCOSAN's separate sewage-treatment charge, whose rate is set annually. Customers with irrigation, a private leak, or water that does not enter the sewer should ask Pittsburgh Water and ALCOSAN about the applicable adjustment or non-returned-water process.
- Meter reading
- Pittsburgh Water is systematically replacing old meters and installing advanced meters that transmit consumption to the utility down to a tenth of a gallon, enabling daily usage views and leak alerts through the Customer Advantage Portal. If automatic reads are unavailable, the utility can send a self-report meter-reading instruction. Meter replacement outreach normally starts by letter, phone call, or door hanger; a nonresponsive owner-occupied property can receive a 10-day termination notice followed by a 3-day shut posting, while a tenant property can receive a 37-day certified notice and later 30-day posting. Billing is monthly and actual/remote reads are used when available; meter age, access, and installation status determine whether an estimate or self-report is required.
- New-account deposit
- The current Pittsburgh Water public start/stop and tenant pages do not publish one universal 2026 residential security-deposit amount. A tenant who becomes a direct customer assumes bills from the application date and may use a reasonable approved payment plan; a Tenant Deposit Agreement can establish tenant eligibility for certain protections. Customers should confirm any deposit, identity/occupancy documentation, prior-balance requirement, or owner/tenant form with Customer Service at (412) 255-2423 option 5.
- Activation or transfer fee
- Start, stop, tenant, owner, final-bill, and restoration forms are available through Pittsburgh Water's service-change portal. The current public material does not publish a universal name-transfer fee; it does publish a one-time $50 fee that includes turning water service back on at a customer's request when returning to a property. Customers should call (412) 255-2423 option 5 to distinguish a normal transfer/start from a restoration, meter, permit, or final-bill charge and to confirm the effective date.
Context, not a score
How documentation coverage compares
This profile
100%
overview fields with research notes
Pennsylvania
37%
records with any overview detail
National index
50%
records with any overview detail
Coverage measures what this directory documented. It does not measure service quality, affordability, or regulatory compliance.
Research record
Broad public detail found
7 of 7 fields in this section contain provider-specific public detail in dataset August 1, 2026.
Documented
100%
Primary verification routes
- Pittsburgh Water (formerly Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority / PWSA) public website ↗
Provider-controlled destination used to confirm current customer instructions.
- EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System ↗
Federal background on public water-system records and their limitations.