PWSA Ramps up Infrastructure Investments to Manage Stormwater

These stormwater projects help reduce pollution, increase public safety, and beautify neighborhoods, which provides a higher quality of life for Pittsburghers.
Phase Two of the Wightman Park project will include planters, like this one constructed along Solway Street during Phase One, to capture and soak up stormwater runoff then direct any excess into the new infrastructure within the park. Phase Two of the Wightman Park project will include planters, like this one constructed along Solway Street during Phase One, to capture and soak up stormwater runoff then direct any excess into the new infrastructure within the park.

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority is building innovative infrastructure projects to reduce flooding, basement backups, and combined sewer overflows to our rivers. When our sewer system was created more than a century ago, it was not designed to handle today’s rainfall and runoff from paved surfaces. 

During the past decade, PWSA has been expanding our stormwater management services to slow down, capture, and filter stormwater before it reaches our overwhelmed sewer pipes. These stormwater projects help reduce pollution, increase public safety, and beautify neighborhoods, which provides a higher quality of life for Pittsburghers. To build on the progress made by the completion of several stormwater projects in 2020, we plan to begin construction of five more stormwater projects this year. 

Wightman Park: Phase One 

In 2020, we completed the first phase of the Wightman Park Stormwater Project in Squirrel Hill through a partnership with the City of Pittsburgh. In addition to improving the park’s safety and accessibility, the project includes a rain garden and underground storage system that capture stormwater runoff and promote better drainage.

Wightman Park: Phase Two

Construction began this April on the second phase of the Wightman Park Stormwater Project. These street improvements will capture and direct stormwater runoff from portions of Wightman Street, Solway Street, Woodmont Street, Negley Avenue, and Murray Avenue to the new infrastructure within the park.

Maryland Avenue

This summer, we will begin the first phase of the Maryland Avenue Stormwater Project in Shadyside. This project will focus on parking lane improvements and underground storage along Howe Street and Kentucky Avenue, between South Negley Avenue and College Street, to reduce basement backups, neighborhood flooding, and combined sewer overflows.

Woodland Road

The Woodland Road Stormwater Project on Chatham University’s Shadyside campus will begin construction this summer. We are partnering with Chatham University to build a dry stream bed with stones, engineered soil, and plants to slow down and soak up stormwater by the intersection of Woodland Road and Chapel Hill Road. 

Thomas and McPherson

This fall, we plan to begin phased construction of the Thomas and McPherson Stormwater Project in North Point Breeze. Improvements include underground stormwater storage, permeable paver parking lanes, and a permeable paver “green alley”, as well as water main and lead service line replacements within portions of the project area.

Four Mile Run

After completing the construction of two drainage channels in Schenley Park as part of the Four Mile Run Early Action Projects in 2020, we plan to begin construction of the larger Four Mile Run Stormwater Project in The Run neighborhood and Schenley Park in fall 2021. The stormwater project includes improvements to Panther Hollow Lake, a restored stream in Junction Hollow, new storm sewer pipes in The Run, and a large stormwater pipeline to the Monongahela River. 

Learn more about our stormwater investments at Pgh2o.com/stormwater-projects.