Somerset Borough - Water and Sewer

Water Meters

The Borough of Somerset uses Sensus Metering Systems water meters. All residential and commercial customers have a meter installed at the premises where it connects to the service line. Almost all customers have some type of remote reading device installed to allow the meter reader access the the water meter readings without going inside the the home or building.

We are currently installing MXU's for remote reading. An MXU is a device that is connected to the water meter inside, allowing the meter reader to read the meter by way of radio communication. The other devices that we use are remote registers and ECR pads that are mounted to the outside of the home or building.

Tips on How to Protect your Water Meters

During Winter Months, we asked that you take special care to protect your water meter from freezing. This will not only help us by not having to send an employee to repair the frozen meters, but is beneficial to you and the owner/tenant of the property are responsible for for paying for the frozen water meter and for the labor for replacing it. Some tips on preventing damage caused by frozen meters:

Locate the meter in a place that is heated and out of the wind and weather (like a basement or crawl space).
If the meter or water lines are not in a properly heated area, wrap your meter and water lines with insulation and/or heat tapes (Available at local hardware stores).
In extreme cases of cold, let one of your faucets run very slowly. A slight increase in your water bill may be better than the costly task of replacing frozen meters, water pipes, or property damage.

Leak Detection

Check to see if your meter has a "leak detector" on it. A leak detector is very useful in problem solving, if you suspect you have a leak in your home or business. When you are sure that nobody is using water, check the red dial. It should not be turning. The slightest movement means that water is being registered by the meter. A meter can not turn with water flowing through it.

Start with the toilet. You can turn the valve off at the toilet, then check the red dial. Continue isolating areas until you have narrowed the leak down.

Another way to check a toilet for a leak is by placing a dye tablet or food coloring in the tank. Let it sit for a while then look in the bowl. If you see coloring, the toilet is leaking through. Dye tablets are available free of
charge at the Water Office.

Pool Meters

The Borough of Somerset offers “pool meters” to our customers that have pools to fill this summer. Please call the Water Office at 443-2661 when you are ready for a meter. The purpose of obtaining such a meter is to have the sewage amount adjusted from your monthly bill, which is determined by the usage registered on the pool meter. We have a limited supply of these meters on stock, so plan ahead when you need to fill your pool.

When you are filling your pool, please take caution to not allow for cross-connection problems. A cross connection is any potential connection between our water supply and a source of contamination. The primary way to avoid this is to allow an air space of at least two inches for the water to run into your pool

The Borough of Somerset Water Office is located at 347 West Union Street.
Phone: (814) 443-2661 between the hours of 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM. In case of an emergency please call County Control at (814) 445-1525.

For your convenience we have a drop off box located in the front of the Borough Building with twenty-four hour access to deposit your water/sewer payments. Please do not deposit cash.