Block-by-block, neighborhood-by-neighborhood, Pittsburgh Water is proactively replacing aging water mains and removing lead service lines throughout our communities.
Imperative to this work is our pursuit of external funding from state and federal partners, which helps save ratepayers money over time.
We're pleased to announce we've received a new $69 million funding award from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) to continue this essential work to protect public health and enhance water reliability across our drinking water service area.
With this award, Pittsburgh Water estimates we'll be able to replace 10 miles of aging water mains across five Pittsburgh neighborhoods including Brighton Heights, Squirrel Hill, North Point Breeze, Bloomfield, and Lower Lawrenceville. We’ll also replace 1,046 lead service lines - specifically, 483 private and 563 public lines. Proactively removing lead service lines is the most effective way to eliminate the presence of lead in drinking water.
This funding package, provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), is split between a $5 million grant, which does not need to be repaid, and a $64 million low-interest loan.
The funding will save our ratepayers approximately $85 million over the next thirty years when compared to traditional financing through municipal bonds.