What is Breakneck Creek

Breakneck Creek Regional Authority was created on February 13, 1989 by the Adams Township and Mars Borough governing bodies to provide service to customers in Adams Township, Mars Borough, Seven Fields Borough and Valencia Borough, all of which are located in Butler County, Pennsylvania. Portions of Cranberry Township in Butler County and portions of Pine Township and Richland Township in Allegheny County were also to be served. On June 1, 1990, the Authority officially took over the Mars Borough Wastewater Treatment Plant which, prior to this date, was operated by Mars Borough.

The Authority began construction of a new 2.0 MGD sequencing batch reactor wastewater treatment plant, one sewage pump station and collection and conveyance sewers in November 1991. The new Breakneck Creek Regional Authority wastewater treatment plant, at a cost of $16,000,000, was put into operation on July 12, 1993. The Authority operates under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permit No. PA 0104442 as issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection.

The Board of Directors is committed to the belief that the very purpose of a municipal authority is to provide public sewer service that is essential to the enhancement of the health, safety and welfare of the public whenever financially feasible – particularly to failing sectors within its service areas. The first step required to achieve this goal was the preparation of an Act 537 Official Sewage Plan Update which the Directors unanimously authorized in November 2000. The Plan Update would increase the Authority’s current capacity NPDES Permit limitations from 2.0 MGD to 3.0 MGD. The Act 537 Plan Update was approved in March 2001 by the Department of Environmental Protection and resulted in a three year $3,230,000 fully funded Capacity Expansion Project which was successfully completed in the summer of 2003. This capacity would provide sewage service to the rapid growth within the BCRA service areas and would meet the needs of existing properties with malfunctioning on-lot systems. Additionally, in 2004, the Directors purchased 4.86 acres adjoining the sewage treatment plant at a cost of $98,886 to ensure that sufficient acreage would be readily available for future capacity expansions for generations.

Breakneck Creek Regional Authority currently has the pleasure of servicing 5,783 customers in Adams Township, 185 customers in Cranberry Township, 1,329 customers in Seven Fields Borough, 613 customers in Mars Borough, 284 customers in Valencia Borough and 6 customers in Middlesex Township, and 108 customers in Forward Township, all located in Butler County, Pennsylvania. The Authority also currently services 621 customers in Pine Township and 157 customers in Richland Township, both of which are located in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.

This represents a total customer base of 9,533 and a total of 11,220 equivalent dwelling units (EDU) through the period ending December 2023.