Common Service Issues

LCA’s customer care department receives many calls about a wide range of topics: billing questions, water quality problems, questions about low pressure, a sky-high water bill, and many more.

However, a high percentage of customers’ questions about LCA’s water service are related to interior plumbing. Customers are responsible for resolving interior plumbing issues, as well as maintaining the customer portion of the water or sewer service line that runs from the street into the house.

If LCA is called out to address an issue that is the customer’s responsibility, a $50 Site Visit Fee will apply ($150 for after-hours calls). Therefore, to help you troubleshoot issues you are experiencing, please take a look at the troubleshooting guides provided below before calling LCA:

FEATURED CONTENT: Fix-A-Leak Week 2024

Fix-A-Leak Week is a terrific time to check your home for possible leaks. Some leaks are silent and sneaky, and could be wasting water without you knowing it!

Check out this interview we did with Good Morning America’s Becky Worley last spring. Our Customer Care Field Services Supervisor, Bill Brogan, takes Becky on a tour of a home and points out where leaks are commonly found.

Learn other ways to find and fix leaks below.

Customer Responsibilities

A common question customers have is what they are responsible for when there is a water or sewer issue. Please select your service area below and view a diagram that explains what LCA is financially responsible for and what you, the customer, are responsible for.

Find & Fix Leaks

Check out this Infographic to understand how leaks can add up!

Here’s a video with tips from the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration WaterSense program to help you find and fix leaks in your home.

Use this handy Detect and Chase Down Leaks Checklist to help.

Dye test all toilets to test for leaks. A leaking flapper in the toilet tank can be a sneaky leak because you may not hear it. Watch our video to learn how!

Low Pressure or “No Water”

Most often, unless we are experiencing a water main break in your area, low pressure problems are caused by issues inside your home such as a clogged faucet aerator or a malfunctioning pressure reducing valve. Even if you are completely out of water, the issue is often a result of a problem inside your home, such as a frozen pipe during winter or a valve turned off that affects your water supply.

To learn more, download our LCA Guide-Low Pressure Guide.

High Water / Sewer Bill

If you have a high water / sewer bill, and the bill indicates the meter reading is an “Actual” reading, that means the volume of water you were billed for was accurately measured by your water meter. LCA has no way of investigating where the water goes after it passes through your water meter. In our troubleshooting guide, we provide some helpful hints and tips for how to find leaks or determine if that high volume of water is still flowing through your meter.

To learn more, download our High Water Bill Troubleshooting Guide.

Estimated Bills

Lehigh County Authority currently uses a “drive-by” system to capture customer’s water meter readings. As our technician drives by your property, the system “pings” your water meter to request a meter reading. Sometimes we are unable to obtain an actual meter reading, which may be due to a physical barrier such as excessive snow or overgrown shrubbery, or it could be another meter-related issue. When this happens, your bill will be estimated until we can determine the source of the problem, and an actual meter reading obtained.

Estimated bills are marked “E” or “Estimated” under the Meter Readings Type on your bill. The estimate is based on your prior use history. Once the problem is corrected and an actual read is obtained, your bill will be adjusted to reflect actual water usage.

The difference between the estimated usage and actual usage may make your bill seem higher than normal. However, the bill is catching up with water consumption not billed for when an estimate was used. If the estimated usage is higher than the actual use, a credit will appear on your account, which may be applied toward future bills.

Sewer Backups

If you have a sewer backup and LCA is your sewer service provider, we can help, but we are not responsible for unclogging customer service lines or interior plumbing. You can check your sewer cleanout box to see if wastewater is flowing normally. If so, the backup is an interior issue and you’ll need to call a plumber. You should also be sure to remove trees to avoid tree root growth over your service line, and avoid flushing larger items such as diapers, wipes, food, sanitary napkins, grease, etc.

Grinder PumpsResource for Customers

If your property has an E/One grinder pump, there are occasions when an alarm may sound, and it is important to know the proper steps to take. Please refer to this information guide for helpful instructions: E-One Grinder Pump User Guide

Hard Water / White Deposits

If you are noticing a buildup of white scale on your faucets, or on your dishes after the dishwasher runs, this is caused by water hardness – calcium and other minerals that are naturally present in our water supply. Some customers also notice white particles in ice cubes or a white film on pots after boiling water. LCA does not treat the water to remove these minerals as they are essential for human health, and the choice to remove calcium from your water is a personal decision for each customer. If you are experiencing a lot of issues with water hardness and white deposits, you should speak with a plumber about your options for installing a water softener.

Boil Water Advisory – Frequently Asked Questions

Check out questions and answers about Boil Water Advisories for helpful tips & information: 

Water Conservation Requests

Occasionally LCA will ask customers to conserve water during our work.

Still having a problem? No problem!

You are always welcome to Contact Us to discuss any service issues you are experiencing or use the Report a Problem form to submit your information. LCA’s customer care team is here to help!

Need information about your water or sewer service line?

Water Service Laterals: If you need information on the water service lateral pipe connected from the water main in the street up to the curb box in front of your property, please email us at  info@lehighcountyauthority.org.

Please note – neither LCA nor the City of Allentown has developer plans or “as-built” documentation with information regarding the customer’s private-side water pipes, which is the portion from the curb box into your dwelling. For information on the private portion, please contact a licensed plumber or master plumber of your choice.

Sewer Service Laterals: For City of Allentown properties, you may request sewer lateral pipe information by emailing us at info@lehighcountyauthority.org. We will provide a map with the approximate location of this privately owned pipe.