Lehigh County Authority

What Lehigh County Authority does

Lehigh County Authority (LCA) is a public, non-profit water and wastewater utility established in 1966 by the County of Lehigh and governed under the Pennsylvania Municipality Authorities Act. It operates through a nine-member Board of Directors appointed by the County and provides drinking water, wastewater collection and treatment, industrial pre-treatment, hauler services, and fire-protection support to more than 55,000 residential and commercial customers across Lehigh County and Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Service is delivered through a physical network of more than 1,065 miles of water and sewer mains, 3,709 fire hydrants (1,907 in the City of Allentown and 1,802 in the Suburban Division), and the Kline's Island Sewer System, which treats 32 million gallons of wastewater daily. Operational technology is built around a GIS-based asset management platform maintained by an asset management technology manager and a GIS specialist, plus customer-facing tools including a real-time Interactive Map for alerts and outages and a Water Quality Map showing source and treatment information by location. Quarterly billing and customer account management are supported through an online payment portal (Paymentus) and traditional mail and phone channels.

LCA's revenue model is built on recurring customer billing, with rate-making governed by statute and rate schedules differentiated between the Allentown Division and Suburban Division customer bases. Operating revenue is supplemented by grant and low-interest loan funding from PENNVEST (Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority) and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, applied to capital projects such as lead service line replacement (over $27 million committed across 2023-2026) and sewer system rehabilitation. The customer base spans individual households, commercial and industrial accounts, municipal governments in western and northern Lehigh County, and healthcare and other institutional users, with horizontal segmentation across residential, commercial/industrial, and municipal tiers. Customer communications are delivered through a multi-channel mix including the company website, a Waterworks Blog, quarterly newsletters distributed with bills, social media (Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram), and press releases managed by a dedicated Director of Communications and Strategic Partnerships - a new executive function created in October 2025 that signals an expanded external-affairs posture.

Name

Lehigh County Authority

Legal name

Lehigh County Authority

Website

https://lehighcountyauthority.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Lehigh County Authority is a public, non-profit water and wastewater utility serving more than 55,000 residential and commercial customers across Lehigh County and Northampton County, Pennsylvania, operating 1,065+ miles of water and sewer infrastructure under the Pennsylvania Municipality Authorities Act.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water and Wastewater Utility Services

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (22131), Sewage Treatment Facilities (22132), Sewage Treatment Facilities (221320)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Raw Water Conveyance & Transmission (Aqueducts, Mains, Pumping Stations) (EUANAAAB), Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants (WWTPs) (EUANADAA), Sewer Pump/Lift Stations & Wet Wells (EUANACAC), Watershed/Source Water & Raw Water Quality Monitoring (intakes, reservoirs, groundwater) (EUANAJAH), Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE)

Keywords

• Water utility services
• Wastewater treatment services
• Municipal sewer services
• Drinking water supply
• Industrial pre-treatment

Headquarters

HQ city

Allentown

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Water and Wastewater Service Revenue: LCA is funded solely through revenues from water and wastewater customers. Rate-making practices are governed by the Pennsylvania Municipality Authorities Act. Customers are billed quarterly with options for various payment methods including online payment, phone payment, and by mail.
2. Government Grants and Low-Interest Loans: LCA receives PENNVEST funding and other government grants to support infrastructure improvement projects including lead service line replacement and sewer system rehabilitation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lehigh County Authority delivers regulated drinking water supply and wastewater collection and treatment to more than 55,000 residential and commercial customers in Lehigh County and Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Its service portfolio includes the Lead Service Line Replacement Program, Source Water Protection, Industrial Pre-Treatment, and customer-facing digital tools such as an interactive outage map and an online water quality map. Operations are funded entirely through customer service charges billed quarterly, with capital projects supported by PENNVEST grants and low-interest loans.

Product overview

Lehigh County Authority operates as a public, non-profit water and wastewater utility providing core drinking water and sewer services to over 55,000 customers in Lehigh County and Northampton County, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1966, the authority's primary offerings consist of drinking water services (including treatment and distribution) and wastewater collection/treatment, with supporting programs such as the Lead Service Line Replacement Program, Source Water Protection, and customer-facing digital tools including an Interactive Map for outages and a Water Quality Map for customer information access. The utility also provides online bill payment capabilities and water education resources for community outreach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Drinking Water Services Provides high-quality, reliable, and affordable drinking water service to residential and commercial customers across Lehigh County and Northampton County, Pennsylvania, including treatment and distribution.
• Wastewater and Sewer Services Provides municipal-level and customer-level sewer service, including collection, treatment, and management of wastewater for western and northern Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.
• Lead Service Line Replacement Program Program to identify and replace lead service lines to protect public health and ensure safe drinking water, funded through PENNVEST investments.
• Industrial Pre-Treatment Program Regulatory program working with industrial customers to pre-treat wastewater before discharge into the municipal sewer system to protect treatment processes and water quality.
• Online Bill Payment Digital payment platform allowing customers to pay water and wastewater bills online without registering, using account numbers from paper bills, available in English and Spanish.

Quantifiable outcome

• 19 consecutive years of providing clean, high-quality water recognized by AWOP Award
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• The Salvation ArmyminorOthersLCA employees participate in The Salvation Army's Angel Tree program, donating gifts for children from disadvantaged families during the holiday season. LCA has participated for multiple years.
• St. Paul's United Church of Christ Food PantryminorOthersLCA employees donate non-perishable items to St. Paul's Food Pantry in Trexlertown, which operates in partnership with Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh Valley.
• Second Harvest Food Bank of the Lehigh ValleyminorOthersPartner organization for LCA's food pantry donations through St. Paul's United Church of Christ.
• Clyde Peeling's ReptilandminorOthersReptiland provided a new home for Thanos, a baby alligator rescued from LCA's Kline's Island Wastewater Treatment Plant pre-treatment screens.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Philadelphia Water Department: City-operated water, wastewater, and stormwater utility serving Philadelphia. Comparable in service offering (drinking water + wastewater) and Pennsylvania regulatory environment, though at much larger scale.
• American Water Works Company: Largest investor-owned water and wastewater utility in the United States, parent of Pennsylvania American Water. Comparable as a regulated water/wastewater utility operator, though at vastly greater scale and geographic diversification.
• Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority: Municipal authority providing water and wastewater services to the City of Pittsburgh and surrounding communities. Comparable as a Pennsylvania Authorities Act utility, but materially larger in scale than LCA.

Regional players

• North Penn Water Authority: Municipal water authority serving north central Montgomery and Bucks Counties, PA. Comparable as a regional Pennsylvania water authority with similar customer base, infrastructure mandate, and governance model.
• Bethlehem Authority: Local municipal authority in Bethlehem, PA providing water service to surrounding communities. Comparable geographic proximity and small-to-mid-scale Pennsylvania authority operations to LCA.
• Bucks County Water & Sewer Authority: Municipal authority providing water and wastewater services in Bucks County, PA. Comparable as a Pennsylvania Municipality Authorities Act entity with similar governance and rate-setting structure to LCA.
• Delaware County Regional Water Authority: Regional water authority serving customers in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. Comparable as a PA Authorities Act water utility providing drinking water service to residential and commercial customers.
• Lancaster Area Sewer Authority: Regional wastewater authority serving Lancaster County municipalities in Pennsylvania. Comparable as a PA-based wastewater authority with similar treatment, collection, and customer service responsibilities.

Direct peers

• Aqua Pennsylvania: Subsidiary of Essential Utilities that operates water and wastewater systems throughout Pennsylvania. Comparable as a regulated water/wastewater utility serving residential and commercial customers in overlapping PA geographies.
• Pennsylvania American Water: Investor-owned water and wastewater utility serving customers across Pennsylvania, including portions of the Lehigh Valley region. Closest direct peer in scale, service mix, and regulatory jurisdiction to Lehigh County Authority.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LCAuthority
• Facebookfacebook.com/LehighCountyAuthority
• Instagraminstagram.com/lcauthority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lehigh County Authority