PWSA's Lead Help Desk and its contractors work closely with residents to identify lead service lines and replace them at no direct cost to customers. This investment in drinking water benefits current and future generations of customers.
Pittsburgh, PA – The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) continues to invest in the health and well-being of Pittsburgh’s neighborhoods with an additional $60 million towards the removal of lead service lines.
This essential work, funded by low-interest loans and grants from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST), will replace lead lines at thousands of locations across Pittsburgh at no direct cost to customers.
“We would like to thank our partners at PENNVEST for the opportunity to continue our efforts to improve water quality through upgrades to aging infrastructure and removal of lead pipes,” said PWSA Chief Engineering Officer Rachael Beam. “Funding our water distribution projects through alternative funding streams, like PENNVEST, allows us to put ratepayer dollars to work on other crucial investments,” she said.
Over time, funding from state and federal partners helps reduce the cost to ratepayers during a period of unprecedented investment in our public water systems. This round of funding will save ratepayers approximately $70 million over the next thirty years when compared to issuing municipal bonds.
An Investment in Pittsburgh’s Neighborhoods
The water main replacement projects, totaling approximately $30 million across two contracts awarded to Independent Enterprises, Inc., will replace approximately 4.1 miles of water mains, 219 public lead service lines, and 187 private lead service lines. This investment will improve water quality and service reliability for our customers in Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill and Brighton Heights neighborhoods. Construction will begin this summer.
The approximately $30 million lead service line replacement effort is split across three contracts, awarded to Folino Construction, Inc., Mele & Mele & Sons, Inc., and Independent Enterprises, Inc. PWSA estimates working at 4,000 locations in the following Pittsburgh neighborhoods:
- Spring Hill – City View
- Garfield
- Manchester
- Millvale
- Southside Slopes
- Perry South
- Central Northside
- Mount Washington
- Southside Flats
- Upper Lawrenceville
- Perry North
Proactively removing lead service lines is the most effective way to eliminate the presence of lead in drinking water and enhances our ability to protect public health now and for future generations.
Investing in better water quality for all
Use our interactive lead map to see where we have completed lead service line replacements and explore current and future project sites. Enter your address to learn the makeup of your service line.
PWSA’s overarching goal was to replace lead lines first in neighborhoods where they posed an exacerbated risk. Research has shown that lead impacts the developing brains of young children and can impact fetuses during gestation. Additionally, placing the financial burden of replacement on homeowners disproportionally impacts low-income residents. With the assistance of the Community Lead Response Advisory Committee, we developed four criteria to identify areas of our service area where residents are at highest risk for lead exposure:
- Children under six and persons of childbearing age, based on US Census Data
- Blood lead level data collected by the Allegheny County Health Department
- Income levels, based on US Census data
- Unknown service line material records
At any location where PWSA replaces lead service lines, work will occur at no cost to the customer. In 98% of project sites, we completed the replacement using a trenchless method to install the new service line, which is less disruptive to residential properties. Lead Help Desk representatives work with customers at every step to ensure all parties understand the construction process. Our contractors complete the work in a timely manner – usually, one day – and customers are left with a precautionary lead pitcher filter to use the weeks following the completion of the work. A post-construction lead sample is also sent to the home to ensure there is no residual high lead level after construction.
If you or someone you know lives in the neighborhoods where work is scheduled, visit pgh2o.com/leadmap to confirm if lead service lines are being replaced near your home. For more info on water quality and other lead offerings, visit lead.pgh2o.com.
