At PWSA, we’re modeling a clear vision for the future, and we have a path to get there. The commitments we’ve made to strengthen water quality, protect public health and our environment, and modernize our water distribution system will provide you with more secure and reliable water services now and in the future.
There are plenty of PWSA projects that support the promises we’ve made to our customers, a few of which we’d like to bring front and center in this issue of Currents.
Replacing lead service lines. Since 2016, we’ve replaced more than 11,300 public lead service lines and more than 8,000 private ones, meaning we’re well on our way to achieving our promise to remove all lead lines from our water distribution system. Currently, five active contracts are underway.
Strengthening your water distribution system. As part of our commitment to providing our customers with more secure and reliable water services, we’ve made tremendous progress on our Water Reliability Plan (WRP) projects. Recently, we successfully replaced a 48-inch water main valve at the Aspinwall Pump Station, a key step in our WRP projects. Built in the early 1900s, this pump station currently pumps an average of 12 million gallons of water per day.
Work on the Highland Reservoir Pump Station, a $50 million investment in our water system, continues to progress on schedule. We're now preparing for the pouring of that reservoir’s concrete walls.
Upcoming water main replacement projects, funded through a mix of about $30 million in low-interest loans and grants courtesy of PENNVEST, will replace approximately 4.1 miles of water mains in our service area. As we replace water mains, we’ll replace 219 public lead service lines and 187 private ones, improving water quality for many of our customers. Construction will begin this summer.
Protecting water quality. PWSA’s efforts mean you can trust that the water you rely on each day meets or exceeds all regulatory requirements.
In fact, lead levels are at historic lows. You can read even more about your water quality in our 2023 Water Quality Report.
Ethics & Integrity, Accountability at PWSA
Our Core Value of Ethics & Integrity means that we act ethically and with integrity in all instances, both as individuals and as an organization. This means modeling honesty, transparency, and professionalism in everything we do. Accountability at PWSA means we are all held accountable, both individually in our everyday roles and as one organization. Only by doing what we promised can we rebuild trust with the community. In short, PWSA has doubled down on its commitment to rebuild trust with those we serve and model transparency in our daily work.