Construction of the new UPMC Mercy Vision and Rehabilitation Tower. This tower is an example of a project that would be required to apply for a development permit. Photo by Terry Clark/PublicSource
This month, we are tackling our most complex process: Development Permits. A development or redevelopment project with a scope more substantial than a single-family home typically requires a development permit. The development permit falls under its own category due to the level of review necessary to understand the impact of the project. We want to know information such as the amount of sewage flows it will add to our system, the water demand required to feed its domestic and fire protection systems, the size and type of connection to the public water and sewer mains, any additional Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) regulations that may apply, fees to be assessed, existing lines that will be terminated, etc. Depending on the project’s complexity, a development permit’s issuance could take up to six months.
The first step in getting a development permit from PWSA is hiring an engineer. The engineer will complete calculations and prepare a set of plans to submit with a development permit application. All of that information is then reviewed by our Development Services group in our engineering department.
PWSA requires a pre-development meeting for any applicant proposing to submit a development permit. This meeting is crucial to talk through rules and regulations, existing and proposed conditions, resolve any current issues, set expectations on the process, and establish project contacts. Our development services team highly values these meetings.
Our developer’s manual serves as a resource for understanding our rules and regulations governing development projects. The manual is updated yearly and underwent a comprehensive update in 2020. Keep an eye out for our latest update in the second quarter of 2021.
We will be digging into development permits in more detail in future issues.
Learn more at pgh2o.com/developers-contractors-vendors/permits/development-permits.
