PWSA Sewer Service Foreman Mike Dusch
Every workday, you can find Mike and his crew traveling across our sewer service area, which covers the entire city limits and certain parts of the 20-plus bordering neighborhoods that tie into our sewer system. Typically along for the ride with Mike are one of our three TV trucks and a vactor truck. Our TV trucks are equipped with cutting edge, 360-degree imaging technology that allows us to televise and record both publicly and privately owned sewer infrastructure. A vactor truck is a high-powered, vacuum vehicle used to clear our sewer main of obstructions that are found during an investigation.
PWSA's vactor truck
Before joining our team, Mike spent 18 years as a union laborer. Interested in opportunities for advancement, Mike joined the water division of our Operations Department. Mike draws on this experience when he occasionally provides coverage as a water service foreman, when necessary.
A small camera prepares to be lowered into a manhole to televise the condition of a sewer pipe.
When PWSA took over maintenance of the sewer system from the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Public Works in 1984, Mike hopped over to the newly formed sewer division where, before his promotion to his current role, he spent 17 years working to monitor our sewer system with duties such as operating the TV truck and logging sewer overflow events.
Mike enjoys the challenge of investigating issues of all varieties no matter rain, shine, or snow. “There are no rainouts here at PWSA. We are out here 40 hours a week, guaranteed,” he explained. Also, interacting with the PWSA crew, contractors, and customers involved in the process of resolving a problem is something he looks forward to every day.
PWSA T.V. Truck Specialist Jason Auge inspects live video as he guides a camera through a sewer main.
In his time outside of PWSA, Mike serves as a state constable under five different magistrates and helps raise funds for the Western Pennsylvania Police Benevolent Foundation, whose mission is to provide assistance
to the families of police officers injured or killed in the line of duty. At home, he spends time with his wife and his three children, one of whom was adopted following the earthquake that occurred in Haiti in 2010. Lastly, one can assume that if Bruce Springsteen has a tour stop in Pittsburgh, Mike will most definitely be there.
