Water Connection

1. Proceed to our New Connections Portal and submit a New Connection Inquiry.

2. Once an inquiry is submitted, Aqua will review your request and determine if you are in Aqua’s Public Utility Commission (PUC) certificated service territory and if a water main abuts the property address. This review will typically take 3-4 business days to complete for simpler requests and 10-15 business days for more complex requests.

3. Following Aqua's review, you will receive an email informing you of our findings and explaining the next steps. If there is a main that abuts your property, you will be asked to submit an application. If you are not in our territory or a main does not abut your property, you may still be able to connect and we will provide you information on that process and forward your information to our main extension department.

Once Aqua confirms service is available and there is a main in front of your property, you will need to return to the New Connections Portal and complete the appropriate application for service. To make this easier, the email response to your inquiry will contain a link to the appropriate application.

• You are encouraged to upload a proposed utility plan, or sketch showing service lines and sizes or other useful documents in your inquiry.
• Review and save a copy of the Aqua Pennsylvania Installation Information for Plumbers and Builders.
• Allow up to 10-15 days for service application review and response.

5. If service is approved, Aqua will provide the applicant named in section A of the application with an approval letter for the connection to Aqua’s water main. The letter will include the contact information for an Aqua representative so the applicant can schedule a site meeting to discuss the following:

• Review and determine the service installation location(s), meter box/vault specifications and location, and backflow protection requirements.
• All new construction requires metering to be in an Aqua approved enclosure.

6. Aqua will apply for any road opening permits and schedule the installation of the service connections from the water main to the right of way line/the property line. (This step may vary by location; details will be provided in the approval letter).

7. The property owner will be responsible for hiring a plumber to install the water line and meter box/vault on their property.

8. Aqua will inspect the meter box/vault, and once approved will schedule for the meter installation.

9. Aqua will turn on the water to the property at the Aqua owned curb valve and Customer billing will begin.

How can I learn if Aqua PA water is available for my project location?

• Go to our New Connections Portal and submit an inquiry. You will need to include the property address, municipality name and county. If an address is not assigned to the lot, provide a tax parcel number and neighboring address with the nearest intersecting street. Aqua will typically respond in 3-4 business days for simple inquiries and up to 10-15 business days for more complicated inquiries.

How can I obtain a “Will Serve Letter” for my project?

• Go to our New Connections Portal and submit an inquiry. Be sure to select "Will Serve Letter Requested." You will need to include the full address, municipality and county for the property, and a map or plan of the site. Include details of the project. For example: new construction, renovation, increase in service size, relocation, etc. 

My project requires a fire sprinkler system, but I do not have a contractor selected for the installation. Can I just leave the section about the designer information blank until I hire one?

• Aqua PA requires the name and credentials of the engineer who calculated the size of the fire line. That information must be provided on any fire water service application.

Who makes the service connection on the water main (wet tap) and how long does it take?

• Aqua PA will arrange for the water service connection on the main, apply and pay for any road opening permits (local and state), and restore the roadway. Timelines vary depending on state highway permitting and/or your contractor’s schedule. (This may vary based on your location in PA; details will be provided in correspondence.)

I want to connect to Aqua PA, but I also want to keep my private well active. Why do I need a testable backflow device on the new Aqua PA service line?

• Aqua PA must ensure our water supply is protected from cross-contamination with other water sources. A testable backflow device must be installed and tested annually if the well is still active.

In order for a developer to extend a water main to service a new development, the following process should be followed:

1. Proceed to our New Connections Portal and submit a New Connection Inquiry.

2. Aqua will review your inquiry, evaluate our ability to serve this project and determine the main that will need to be extended.

3. You will have to confirm at this point if fire service or fire hydrants are required for your project. You should contact the local Fire Marshal or code official in the municipality to confirm your requirements prior to submitting your request to Aqua.

4. If you need a will serve letter for your project, please check the "will serve letter requested" box on the request for water service inquiry form.

1. Aqua will inform you of our ability to serve the development, and which main will need to be extended. If there are any system upgrades needed to serve your project, we will provide that information. If you have requested a will serve letter, one will be provided.

2. If Aqua can serve your development, you will be advised to return to the New Connections Portal to provide contact information for the Developer, Developer's Engineer and additional information regarding your project. That information will be used to set up the project in Procore and then you will be sent an email inviting you to join the project in Procore. All document exchanges and coorespondences will be managed through Procore.

1. Developer’s engineer should submit a full set of land development plans, a fire marshal’s letter and a builder extension plan per Aqua drafting standards and drawing format through Procore. The following links provide examples, standards, and templates for your submittal to Aqua:

• See Fire Marshal’s letter template.
• See Aqua’s New Business Package for drafting standards.
• See CAD File for template of Aqua’s drawing format.
• See Drafting Check List for items to include on drawing.

2. Aqua’s New Business Department will review and provide comments on the builder’s extension plan through Procore.

3. Developers Engineer will have to revise and resubmit revised plans for Aqua's review through Procore. These two steps will be repeated until builders extension plans are in accordance with Aqua's standards.

4. Once the plan is approved, Aqua will upload a plan approval letter to the Procore Project. The developers' engineer can avoid multiple reviews and additional time delays by preparing builders extension plan in accordance with the documents provided in step 1 above.

1. After the plan approval letter is received by the engineer, the builder/developer may request a builder’s extension agreement (BEA) by uploading the following information to the Procore Project:

• Detailed cost estimate from the Aqua pre-approved contractor that will install the water main.
• Copy of the recorded deed if applicable.
• Correct names, addresses, and contacts for each of the parties that are required to execute the agreement.
• The builder/developer is encouraged to request the builders extension agreement (BEA) as soon as they have approval and can provide these items, as preparing the BEA takes time.

2. Aqua’s New Business Department will prepare a builder’s extension agreement and attachment package and upload it to the Procore Project for completion and execution. 

• See boilerplate agreement
• See boilerplate attachment package

3. The builder/developer shall upload the executed agreement and all of the required attachments to the Procore Project and submit checks via mail for the Administrative Fee and Value-Added Fee. Your documents will not be reviewed until all documents and received and complete and the fees are received. 

• See description of Administrative Fee
• See description of Value Added Fee

4. Aqua’s new business department will review and approve the BEA for completeness. If any items are missing,  contract approval will be delayed until all items are received, correct and complete. 

5. The developer/builder will be required to return to the New Connections Portal to upload a completed service application and a list of addresses for the services in an excel spreadsheet as part of the builder’s extension agreement package. You will not receive contract approval until all service addresses are provided.

6. Aqua will issue a contract approval letter and a service approval letter and upload those to Procore.

1. Once Aqua issues the service approval letter, a pre-construction meeting can be scheduled with an Aqua representative.

2. Details regarding the installation, inspection and testing requirements will be provided as part of the builders extension agreement.

3. Upon completion of the extension project, and once the work has passed all testing and final inspections and as-built drawings have been approved, the builder/developer shall return to Procore to complete the cost accounting form, to provide and certify the final project costs.

4. Once the certification of final cost form has been completed and signed, all punch list items are completed, and as built drawings are complete, Aqua will take dedication of the main extension.

One month following the effective date of the dedication, if the builder is not in breach of any part of the agreement at the builder's request, Aqua will lower the bond to not less than 20% of the final construction cost. Aqua will hold the 20% as a security of the builder's warranty to Aqua, in accordance with the terms of the BEA.

Builder may be entitled to refunds for each water connection for up to five years of the date of the agreement. Details regarding the refund process and amounts will be provided in the builders extension agreement.