The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority provides service to more than 465,000 customers throughout the City of Pittsburgh and surrounding areas. We are the largest combined water, sewer, and stormwater authority in Pennsylvania. Our Environmental Compliance program is being developed as the foundation of PWSA’s commitment to operating in accordance not only with the strict requirements of the law, but also in a manner that is consistent with high ethical and professional standards in the delivery of drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater services to our customers.
In September 2021, a federal judge accepted the plea agreement PWSA negotiated with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Justice related to Clean Water Act violations dating back to 2016 and 2017. This final step in the legal process means that we’re owning up to our past failures and moving forward as a utility that is focused on serving our customers and protecting the environment. PWSA is equipped with the resources, the dedicated leadership, and the fortitude to ensure that we move beyond past mistakes and forge a culture that prioritizes ethical behavior with a focus on environmental compliance. This culture change will help protect the environment and ensure PWSA continues to provide high-quality water services to the City of Pittsburgh and our neighbors.
About Environmental Compliance
Environmental Compliance Program
PWSA’s current leadership implemented new environmental compliance and ethics initiatives beginning in 2020 with the intent of improving operations and developing a culture around environmental compliance and ethics. PWSA’s Environmental Compliance and Ethics Program (ECEP) is diligently applied and regularly monitored and modified as it may be appropriate. The ECEP covers all of PWSA’s operations including compliance with regulatory requirements associated with drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, waste management, chemicals, and air quality. PWSA employees are encouraged to understand and implement environmental compliance and ethics standards and are empowered to report acts of non-compliance without fear of retribution. Further, the ECEP emphasizes the importance of training and educational updates on compliance and regulatory issues that impact the operations of the PWSA.
The primary goals of the ECEP are to:
- Prevent fraud, waste, abuse, and other improper activity by creating a culture of environmental compliance and ethics within PWSA.
- Detect any non-compliance activities at an early stage before they may impact water quality or compliance with regulations.
- Respond swiftly to environmental compliance and ethics issues through appropriate action and documentation.
There are five key components to PWSA’s ECEP, establishing the organization-wide framework for environmental compliance and ethics. These components include:
- PWSA’s Mission Statement,
- Organizational Structure,
- Codes and Policies,
- Training, and
- Environmental Compliance Manual.
Environmental Compliance Audit
PWSA has engaged an independent Environmental Auditor who has followed accepted environmental auditing techniques, procedures, and policies in designing and executing an environmental compliance audit of the Aspinwall Water Treatment Plant. PWSA will annually conduct this independent audit to help confirm the effectiveness of the Environmental Compliance Manual, identify compliance issues, and improve our compliance policies and procedures.
We encourage PWSA customers to read our 2023 Environmental Compliance Audit Report in order to learn more about our environmental compliance efforts and areas where we continue to improve.
Environmental Compliance Reports
Use the links below to view and download our current reports. To request a hard copy of an Environmental Compliance Audit Report, please complete a Right-to-Know Request.
| Annual Environmental Compliance Audit Reports | Corrective Action Reports |
|---|---|
| 2023 Environmental Compliance Audit Report | 2023 Corrective Action Report |
Annual Drinking Water Quality Reports
Visit our Water Quality & Treatment page for information on our Annual Drinking Water Quality Reports, which provide specific information on drinking water production and quality.