Pittsburgh, PA - Today, the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the plea agreement recently reached with PWSA to address violations of the Clean Water Act. The plea covers violations related to discharges from the Aspinwall Water Treatment Plant to the Allegheny River, and reporting violations related to residuals we send to ALCOSAN for treatment.

PWSA has fully cooperated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Justice on this investigation. Both compliance issues raised in the investigation have been rectified and had no impact on the quality or safety of the drinking water. Moreover, the individual indicted in the investigation has not worked at PWSA since March 2017. The Authority has altered the treatment plant to make these discharges to the river physically impossible. 

“These historical compliance violations are an unfortunate product of decades of disinvestment in PWSA’s water system and disinvestment in the people who were charged with its operations. Under new leadership, PWSA has the financial resources to appropriately invest in the water treatment plant and is working with the U.S. EPA to ensure that the Authority and its employees comply with all environmental laws,” said PWSA Chief Executive Officer, William Pickering.