RAW TALK

Flattening the Curve: Protecting Our Essential Staff and the Public During These Uncertain Times
PWSA Executive Director Robert A. Weimar PWSA Executive Director Robert A. Weimar

No matter the challenge, I am exceedingly confident in Team PGH2O’s ability to continuously deliver safe and reliable water and sewer service. Our entire organization continues to prove our readiness to resolve any challenge, regardless of scale, and that we are here to ensure that you - our customers - are always served. 

As we continue to maintain our infrastructure and operations, I am proud to inform you that we are successfully confronting the immense challenge of protecting our staff and customers from the public health dangers presented by COVID-19. 

At the beginning of the month, we transitioned all office staff to work remotely. We also established two independent sets of operators and repair staff to have staff backup should the virus outbreak among our staff. We have also invoked mandatory health screenings for all our essential Water Treatment Plant operators and field repair and maintenance staff. These screenings include the following methods to ensure that our employees and their families stay healthy:

  • Health screenings are conducted seven days a week for all essential PWSA employees.
  • Water Treatment Plant operators and critical facilities repair staff are screened at the treatment plant. All field employees are required to complete health screenings at a separate location the beginning of each work shift.
  • Screening stations are staffed by trained medical professionals who are taking employee temperature and asking a series of questions based on CDC guidelines.

Workforce health screenings are just one facet of our comprehensive staff COVID-19 response. We have also enhanced safety training for essential field personnel on the proper use of personal protective equipment, and increased cleaning frequency of all work sites and PGH2O vehicles. You may find more details and continue to stay up to date with our response at pgh2o.com/covid-19. 

For our customers PGH2O is extending our moratorium on water shutoffs during the COVID-19 pandemic to July 1, 2020 and waiving two additional requirements through the end of 2020 which helps our customers receive financial cash assistance to pay their water and sewer bills.  

You can still reach a PWSA Customer Service Representative at 412-255-2423 (press 5) during our normal business hours Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 6 PM. After hours, you can reach our Emergency Dispatchers 24/7 by calling the 412-255-2423 (Press 1). For non-urgent matters, please consider using our easy online ‘Report an Issue’ form at pgh2o.com/report-an-issue.

Thank you for your patience as we all continue to navigate and overcome these unprecedented difficulties together.