Western Clinton County Water Authorities Merge to Streamline Service

By Kevin Rauch
RENOVO – After years of consideration and months of planning, the merger between the Renovo Borough Water Authority, Chapman Township Water Authority and South Renovo Water are merging and will be under the unified Western Clinton County Municipal Authority effective January 1 of 2026.

Although this merger brings many changes, everyone associated with the creation of one western Clinton County water and sewage departments realize the unification is years overdue and will benefit everyone in the area.

Of course, residents/customers’ first reaction will reflectively be prices and billing, so here’s a quick overview.
Typically, each household is charged for one unit of water and one unit of sewer per household, so this example is using that model, but will not apply to businesses or multi-family dwellings.

Each the water and sewer rates will be $108 dollars per quarter, which means beginning April 1, 2026 customers will receive one bill for the combined price $216.00. Customers will no longer receive two post-card sized bills in the mail each quarter, rather than one combined bill.

Something that may confuse customers initially: Both the water and sewer rates are paid after three months of use, so those bills received late December/early January are for water and sewage rates from October through December of 2025. So, keep in mind that the next set of bills received will be paying for the final quarter of 2025.

First quarter billing for the new prices due to the merger will not be seen on a bill until the April 1st mailing, which will be from the months of January through March 2026.

The $216.00 quarterly bills will be lower costs for South Renovo and Chapman residents, while Renovo residents will see an increase of $10.00 per quarter. All single dwelling customers will be paying $864.00 annually, which again is a decrease for South Renovo and Chapman, while adding $40.00 per year for Renovo residents.

With the merger yet to officially take place, all things aren’t finalized, such as a possible discount to anyone paying yearly in advance. Checks will be able to be mailed the WCCMA PO Box, online, in person or at a drop box at the WCCMA office below the Renovo Post Office. Payment plans will also be an option.

The simplest payment plan option for customers would be to pay $72.00 a month, however, that would have to begin being paid in January of 2026, but keep in mind those final two separate water and sewage payments from 2025 will also be due that month and assuming payment on those brings your balance owed on your account to zero.

A letter from the authority will be sent out towards the end of December to all customers explaining the merger and billing options.

Although initial billing will be different and therefore seem slightly complicated, ultimately the unification of WCCMA running both options will undoubtedly prove efficient by spring.

“Everyone is getting their water from the same place that they did before, whether it’s Paddy’s Run Reservoir or Halls Run Reservoir, nothing is changing where customers are getting their water from,” explained WCCMA Board Chairman Butch Knauff.

WCCMA Chief Operator Kyle Stewart explained that future grants will certainly be attainable due to the merger.
“In the eyes of a permit everything is now running under one system, regionalizing the water authorities into one authority creates a better opportunity for grants. DEP is over the moon that this is happening” offered Stewart.

Knauff agreed, explaining that all three former water entities have missed out on grants that would have been

successful had western Clinton County already been under one department.
“This will clarify a lot of things, cut costs, simplify oversight, having mass amounts of board members, this way we can collaborate and tackle issues much more quickly rather than dealing with multiple entities.” Stewart continued. The WCCMA board will stay status quo, with a Noyes Township representative to be added in January.

Stewart said that the merger gives another key element that everyone in the area should appreciate.
“This means that we have control and can avoid being bought out by a private individual, we’ve seen it over in Woolrich” offered Stewart. “Appalachian bought out Pennsylvania American Water, this merger also combats us being bought out by a private company that can make rates as high as they’d like.”

Another added bonus that most customers would like to hear is that this will give WCCMA total control, allowing them to shut off people more easily for non-payment. Previously it became difficult not to completely allow officials from the sewage department to shut off a customer for non-payment if they were paid up on their water bill, or occasionally even vice versa. Shut-offs will become a real deterrent for non-payment.

With the merger the WCCMA will ultimately employ nine total employees beginning in 2026, a respectable number as an employer inside Renovo Borough.