Public Water Authority
State College Borough Water Authority
Serving State College Borough and portions of Benner, College, Harris, Halfmoon, Patton and Ferguson Townships
Population served
Approximately 72,000 people in the queue estimate; SCBWA reports more than 15,000 metered services and approximately 270 miles of water mains across its service territory.
State system code
FIPS 42
Billing frequency
Quarterly for ordinary customers; locations with pit or vault meters and other designated accounts may be billed monthly. Quarterly bills are due 20 days after mailing; monthly bills receive the same 20-day penalty trigger.
Provider briefing
How this utility’s billing works
State College Borough Water Authority operates as a public water authority serving State College Borough and portions of Benner, College, Harris, Halfmoon, Patton and Ferguson Townships. Customers should use the provider’s current account-specific bill and official customer-service instructions as the final authority for deadlines, balances, and service requests.
The published water-rate framework is described as Uniform metered rate plus meter-capacity charge. Effective with bills dated on or after January 1, 2026, water is $7.15 per 1,000 gallons. The 5/8-, 3/4- and 1-inch meter capacity charge is $9.30 per month; quarterly customers have a minimum of three months of capacity charge plus 2,000 gallons.. Bills are generated quarterly for ordinary customers; locations with pit or vault meters and other designated accounts may be billed monthly. quarterly bills are due 20 days after mailing; monthly bills receive the same 20-day penalty trigger., and a typical residential cost reference is At 6,000 gallons per month, the water commodity is approximately $42.90 monthly plus a 5/8-inch capacity charge of $9.30, or about $52.20 per month for water. Sewer rental is billed separately by the Borough and is not included in SCBWA's water-rate schedule; the combined estimate therefore requires the Borough's quarterly sewer rate.. These descriptions are useful planning benchmarks; actual charges can change with meter size, usage, sewer averaging, local taxes, drought stages, or account-specific fees.
Wastewater and sewer calculation
State College Borough, rather than SCBWA, bills residents quarterly for sewer rentals. SCBWA's water bill is based on actual metered water usage, with estimated bills only when the radio-read device cannot communicate; the reviewed Authority schedule does not state a sewer winter-average formula or a sewer rate.
Meter and infrastructure notes
SCBWA uses Sensus drive-by radio reading and is transitioning toward FLEX NET AMI. Current drive-by collection takes approximately 3-4 days for a section; planned AMI towers on water tanks will collect transmitter readings daily and support leak monitoring. Bills are based on actual usage unless the radio-read device cannot communicate.
Emergency water support
Report a leak or water emergency
800-479-0050 after hours; the main office is 814-238-6766 during Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m. SCBWA also publishes leak-detection guidance and asks customers to report unusual consumption.
Official starting point
Choose the right next step
Reading this profile
A practical reference for State College Borough and portions of Benner, College, Harris, Halfmoon, Patton and Ferguson Townships
State College Borough Water Authority is listed here as a public water authority. The profile separates account actions—such as paying a bill or requesting service—from explanatory material about rates, meters, wastewater, leaks, and delinquency.
Because utility rules can vary by account class, meter size, service address, billing date, and local ordinance, treat the published bill and current provider website as the final authority. Use this profile to locate the correct channel and prepare better questions for customer service.
If your issue is urgent, start with the provider’s emergency number or official payment route rather than waiting for an email response. Keep a written record of calls, confirmation numbers, notice dates, and documents you submit.