Pittsburgh, PA – Pittsburgh Water is proud to join communities across the United States in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA), the landmark law that has safeguarded public health by regulating the nation’s drinking water quality since its passage on December 16, 1974.
Over the past 50 years, the SDWA has brought about significant progress in securing access to safe, clean drinking water for millions of Americans. Over the course of five decades, the law has established water quality standards, reduced harmful contaminants, and provided guidance for public water systems of all sizes in delivering safe water to their communities.
“Over the past several years, we’ve placed a renewed emphasis on our role protecting public health, maintaining high environmental and ethical standards, and modernizing the aging water infrastructure throughout our service area as swiftly and efficiently as possible,” said Pittsburgh Water CEO Will Pickering. “The 50th anniversary of the Safe Drinking Water Act represents a moment to reflect on the progress Pittsburgh Water has made, and the work we’ve committed to continue in the interest of ensuring safe, reliable drinking water services for Pittsburgh now and in the decades to come.”
Keeping Pittsburgh's Drinking Water Safe
Pittsburgh Water cites the reliable delivery of safe, clean drinking water as its top priority. The organization relies on a dedicated staff at the Pittsburgh Water Treatment Plant and its water quality lab to constantly monitor and measure our community’s drinking water before it’s distributed to our taps, performing an average of 3,000 routine tests per month.
The Pittsburgh Water team proactively tests for both unregulated and regulated contaminants required by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. In its most recent Annual Drinking Water Quality Report, Pittsburgh Water indicates that it has met or surpassed all state and federal regulations for quality and safety in Pittsburgh’s drinking water.
“The water we draw from the Allegheny River, process through our Water Treatment Plant, and distribute throughout our service area is tested regularly and meets all applicable water quality standards. That’s only half the story, though,” said Pittsburgh Water Chief Environmental Compliance and Ethics Officer Frank Sidari. “To bolster the reliability of our system for delivering this safe, clean drinking water to our communities for years to come, we are investing considerable time, focus, and capital into a number of strategic projects.”
Investing in Water Infrastructure
The projects Sidari mentions are wide ranging. Pittsburgh Water is committed to removing lead from the city’s drinking water system through a nationally lauded Community Lead Response program. With the addition of orthophosphate to the water treatment process and proactive lead service line removal projects, Pittsburgh Water’s lead levels continue to trend at historic lows. Through these and other proactive actions, Pittsburgh Water is on track to meet the newly issued Federal Lead and Copper Rule years ahead of the national mandate, identifying 2027 as its target to finish replacing all residential lead service lines within its service area.
To secure a greater degree of reliability within its water distribution system, Pittsburgh Water has committed to invest nearly $470 million in large-scale water improvement projects as part of an ambitious Water Reliability Plan. This comprehensive series of once-in-a-generation projects will modernize Pittsburgh’s water infrastructure and provide for more secure and reliable water services for generations to come.
To learn more about Pittsburgh Water’s progress and ongoing plans, visit pgh2o.com/tap-in.
