Pittsburgh, PA – Pittsburgh Water celebrated a wide range of achievements and milestones over the past year, while maintaining an emphasis on delivering safe, high-quality drinking water to those it serves. From keeping lead levels at historic lows to securing responsible investments in Pittsburgh’s water infrastructure, today the utility invited the public to reflect on specific achievements and performance metrics in its 2024 Year in Review report.
“As a public utility, every dollar we receive is put back into our water system, meaning we don’t have shareholders and don’t generate a profit,” said Pittsburgh Water CEO Will Pickering. “We work for our customers, and we take our responsibility to our community seriously. That’s why we’re proud to share our 2024 Year in Review as we reflect on a year of exceptional progress.”
Report Highlights
The utility’s annual report provides a detailed exploration of key accomplishments in areas including infrastructure investment, customer trust, and organizational capacity, and lays out specific data points – from the number of lead pipes replaced to the average customer call answer speed – with the intention of improving transparency and fostering public trust. Notable highlights in 2024’s report include:
Lead service line replacements. Pittsburgh Water’s Community Lead Response, launched in 2016, places the utility years ahead of the national average for lead service line replacements. At the end of 2024, Pittsburgh Water announced the replacement of its 12,000th lead service line.
Water Reliability Plan (WRP) progress. Last year, the foundation was laid for a new Highland Reservoir Pump Station, one of several projects in the expansive Water Reliability Plan. When completed, this new building – Pittsburgh Water’s first in two decades – will reduce the likelihood of service disruptions caused by power outages or water main breaks.
Leveraging innovative financing. Since 2018, Pittsburgh Water has secured nearly $100 million dollars in grants and more than $750 million dollars in low-interest loans from state and federally funded sources. The organization also received a credit rating upgrade from Moody’s Ratings in 2024, which positively impacts funding sources including bonds and more favorable loan arrangements. These funding sources help reduce the financial burden on ratepayers while facilitating the funding of critical infrastructure improvement projects.
Progress Speaks for Itself
In reintroducing itself to the community as Pittsburgh Water in 2024, the organization signaled a future-focused outlook with a commitment to progress in water quality, water reliability, updating aging infrastructure, and improving the customer experience for those it serves.
“We encourage our customers and community members to explore our 2024 Year in Review and learn more about all of the progress we’ve made over the past year,” said Pickering. “2024 was a year of tremendous achievements made on behalf of the communities we serve, and we’re committed to continuing that work in 2025 and beyond.”
Pittsburgh Water’s 2024 Year in Review is available now by visiting pgh2o.com/year-in-review.
