The dry stream bed, located along Woodland Road on Chatham University's campus works in tandem with underground storage to slowly release stormwater into the sewer system. The stones, engineered soils, and plants mimic nature to help slow runoff.

Pittsburgh, PA – In 2022, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) completed six stormwater infrastructure projects to help protect Pittsburgh residents, its neighborhoods, and our rivers and streams from the impacts of too much rain.  

The six stormwater projects were constructed in five Pittsburgh neighborhoods where excess stormwater runoff often impacts public health, safety, and the environment. These projects, constructed in Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, South Oakland, Carrick, and Point Breeze North, help to address some of the most prevalent stormwater challenges including neighborhood flooding, basement sewage  backups, and diminshed water quality in Saw Mill Run.  

“PWSA made significant progress toward addressing stormwater challenges across our city this year“ stated Will Pickering, Chief Executive Officer of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority. “We now have 18 stormwater projects in the ground protecting public health and the environment, with more on the way.” 

The new stormwater systems feature innovative green solutions constructed above and beneath the ground to effectively manage stormwate runoff. Above the surface, plants, soil, stones, and permeable pavers help to slow, capture, and filter rainwater while beneath the surface, underground storage systems, constructed of gravel, pipes, or modular tanks, hold back rainwater from overwhelmed sewers then slowly release it after a storm passes.  

“A great deal of planning and engineering goes into each of our stormwater projects to ensure that each layer of the system – those at street level and the underground storage – work together to capture, retain, and safely convey excess water through our network of sewer pipes.” said Tony Igwe, Senior Group Manager of Stormwater for PWSA.” 

Continue reading to learn more about the construction of these projects and the benefits they are bringing to Pittsburgh neighboroods - some of which include neighborood beautification, improved pedestrian safety, and drainage improvements on a local, youth ballfield.  

Clockwise from top left: Maryland Avenue, Woodland Road, Wightman Park Phase Two, Volunteers Field, Lawn and Ophelia, and Thomas and McPherson projects.

At the Maryland Avenue Stormwater Project in Shadyside, permeable paver parking lanes and new storm inlets capture rainwater to be held in layers of gravel and storage pipe underground. Just up the hill, PWSA and Chatham University partnered to create the Woodland Road Stormwater Project on Chatham’s Shadyside Campus. There, stormwater runoff is slowed down and soaked up as it flows through landscaping, a rocky stream bed, and modular underground tanks. 

Stormwater bumpouts along Solway Street direct stormwater runoff to underground storage in Wightman Park and improve pedestrian safety.

After completing the first phase of the Wightman Park Stormwater Project in Squirrel Hill in 2020 through collaboration with the City of Pittsburgh and other partners, PWSA constructed the second phase in 2021 and 2022. Stormwater “bumpout” planters along nearby streets now carry rainwater to storage infrastructure in the newly renovated park.  

The rain garden adjacent to the ballfield at Volunteers Field filters pollution and supports drainage improvements.

PWSA also partnered with the City of Pittsburgh on the Volunteers Field Drainage and Regrading Project in Carrick. The project included field regrading, an underground field drainage system, and a new rain garden to decrease field flooding, improve playability, and reduce pollution into the Saw Mill Run stream.