Jefferson Hills does not have it's own sewage processing plants but utilizes and pays the communities of Elizabeth, Pleasant Hills and Clairton. Depending on where you live, the sewage flows to one of these processing plants, is metered and Jefferson Hills is billed accordingly. Jefferson Hills is then at the mercy, in a way, of these communities. As they are required to update their facilities, Jefferson Hills rates are increased accordingly. In turn, the individual residents' sewage disposal rates are increased.

A growing concern, though, is homes and establishments are not individually metered but billed based solely on individual water usage. Residents and establishments may be utilizing water for purposes that do not end up in the sewage system. The most common would be watering, lawns, watering gardens, washing cars, exterior cleaning, etc. With sewage disposal rates increasing, it is not equitable that residents should solely be billed based on water usage. However, there are devices, referred to as "deduct meter," that may be installed to an outside water faucet, which will meter the outdoor usage of water, that really does not go through the sewage system. This reading is then reported along with the sewage bill for credit. Jefferson Hills is one of a few communities that has this policy, and more information may be obtained from the Borough Manager's office at (412) 655-7735.

The document below was prepared by the Jefferson Hills Engineer, explaining the breakdown of the cost of where the $8.50 per 1000 gallons of sewage is spent. Sewage is a cost that possibly increase throughout the communities of Allegheny County, due to the age of the various sewage systems, enhanced Department of Environmental Protection regulations and the costs of upgrading these systems. So it would be prudent for all residents to be aware of this, and stay infromed regarding what is occurring in the communities where we live. Please - Beware - the rates will be increased by approximatley 15%, and the details below will change