EPA Assistant Administrator of the Office of Water, Radhika Fox (middle), joins local leaders in Pittsburgh for a lead service line replacement demonstration in April 2022.

PWSA’s Community Lead Response, created in 2016, has focused heavily on providing community resources and education on the dangers of lead in drinking water, optimizing the water treatment process to reduce corrosion of lead lines, and replacing all residential public and private lead lines in the system. This award recognizes the replacement of 3,400 public and 2,800 private lead lines through utilization of the EPA’s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF), the $49 billion federal-state partnership dedicated to protecting America’s public health.   

“We thank our partners at EPA and PENNVEST for recognizing our commitment to reducing the risks of lead in water and nominating us for the 2022 AQUARIUS Recognition. Without their funding and support since our first PENNVEST-funded program in 2017, this crucial work would not be possible,” said PWSA CEO Will Pickering.

Through PWSA’s longstanding partnership with PENNVEST, low interest loans and grant money has made it possible for PWSA to more aggressively fund lead service line replacements year over year. Low interest loans obtained through the state revolving fund model offer lower interest rates, which save customers millions of dollars over the lifetime of the loan as compared to funding through municipal bonds, while the use of grants provides funding that does not need to be repaid.  

AQUARIUS Recognition Program 

To receive this esteemed recognition, PENNVEST’s nomination highlighted lead service line replacements funded by the DWSRF and described how our program met the following criteria:    

1. Address the most serious risk to human health 
2. Necessary to ensure compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act 
3. Assist systems most in need, on a per household basis, according to state-determined affordability criteria 

The Community Lead Response met three of the five tenants of excellence: 

• System Partnerships: PWSA has worked directly with thousands of homeowners across Pittsburgh to replace lead lines on private property and has relied on the support and expertise of the Community Lead Response Advisory Committee to develop an equitable response to lead in drinking water.  
• Environmental and Public Health Protection: PWSA worked tirelessly since 2016 to reduce lead levels, replace a mandated number of lead lines annually, and bring the water system back into state and federal compliance. 
• Innovative Financing: By pursuing low interest PENNVEST loans and all available grant dollars, PWSA can provide free lead line replacements to customers. The work is implemented using an affordability analysis that ensures neighborhoods with the highest risk and greatest financial need receive priority.  

“I am excited to recognize the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority for taking a community-focused approach to removing dangerous lead pipes and protecting city residents,” said EPA Assistant Administrator for Water Radhika Fox. “This work is advancing President Biden’s commitment to get the lead out of our nation’s drinking water and provides a blueprint for other cities to consider.”

To read the EPA's announcement of this year's AQUARIUS Recognition, visit here.

Creating a lead-safe Pittsburgh 

The Community Lead Response’s success hinges on participation from private property owners and requires extensive, person-to-person coordination leading up to the replacement of private lead service line. Our dedicated Lead Help Desk Team, liaisons, and construction managers work every day to educate customers on the benefits of lead line removal and make them aware of all potential impacts of construction. PWSA is proud to have replaced over 10,000 public and over 7,000 private lead lines, putting it over halfway to the goal of replacing all lead in the system.  

Construction crews replace a lead service line.

Empower Community Members with Essential Resources

PWSA also provides free lead testing to all residential water customers, lead filters and pitchers to any resident with elevated lead levels or recent replacement work at their property, an interactive lead inventory map, and a Lead Line Reimbursement Program, which allows customers to proactively replace private lead service lines using a private plumber and be reimbursed. To-date, with the support of DWSRF funding, PWSA has invested over $100 million to address lead in drinking water in Pittsburgh.  

If you are interested in learning more about construction efforts to replace lead lines near you, visit our interactive project map. To learn more about lead in drinking water, visit www.lead.pgh2o.com.