Pittsburgh, PA - The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) encourages its water customers to sign up for free lead service line replacements through a dedicated, income-qualified program. The program, which will expire in February of 2021 or when funding runs out, provides free private lead service line replacements to those who meet income requirements. The process is simple and easy – those interested should call Dollar Energy Fund at 866-762-2348, to take advantage of this free service.  

Dollar Energy Fund administers the program on our behalf. By calling them, a representative will verify income to determine if you fall within the income guidelines. They will review your income over the phone. Eligible customers participating in the program will enter into an agreement with PWSA allowing us to work on private property. The program includes necessary plumbing upgrades, a free pitcher filter, and post construction lead testing.  

In January, we increased the threshold for qualification from 250% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) to 300% FPL. This means that an individual making $38,280 or a family of four with a household income of $78,600 would qualify.  

Crews contracted by PWSA are incentivized to complete work with the least invasive methods possible. Using a “trenchless method”, workers can pull the old lead line out from underneath the ground while simultaneously replacing it with a copper line. After completing thousands of lead line replacements across Pittsburgh, 98% of them were completed using a trenchless method. When a PWSA-owned public lead line is found during the work, our crews will coordinate a full lead line replacement.