PA Senator Jay Costa (left) discusses the utility sector’s response to COVID-19 with PWSA Deputy Executive Director Will Pickering (bottom right) and Duquesne Light CEO and President Steve Malnight (top right).

State and Local officials host online meetings with utility experts

Your local officals are working hard in collaboration with us and other local utilities to educate customers on financial assistance that is available during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

On May 7th, PWSA Deputy Executive Director Will Pickering participated in Pennsylvania State Senator Jay Costa’s COVID Conversations webinar series with CEO and President of Duquesne Light Steve Malnight, and Co-Founder and CEO of Module Brian Gaudio. Will discussed amendments we have made to our Customer Assistance Programs and how we have adapted to keep our workforce and customers safe as we continue to execute our mission of providing our customers with safe and reliable water and sewer service. An example of our approach to safety is our existing policy of mandatory health screenings for our field staff. In addition, Will explained how we are planning to move forward toward a “new normal” as guidelines on matters including non-emergency construction and telework are gradually relaxed. The program is accessible to watch online at senatorcosta.com/covid-conversations-housing-and-utilities-in-a-health-crisis/.

Utility experts and elected officials gather for a virtual town hall about assistance programs for customers. PWSA Director of Administration Julie Quigley (top center)

The Pittsburgh Black Elected Officials Coalition hosted a Facebook Live Utilities Town Hall on March 21st. PA State Representatives Ed Gainey and Jake Wheatley, Allegheny County Councilman DeWitt Walton, and City of Pittsburgh Councilmen Rev. Ricky Burgess and Daniel Lavelle are the members of this Coalition.

Experts from all of the Pittsburgh utilities attended this virtual town hall and PWSA Director of Administration Julie Quigley spoke about the changes made to our programs. The town hall video is accessible to watch online at facebook.com/PittsburghBlackOfficials/live_ videos.

As part of our response to the spread of COVID-19, we have extended our Shut Off Moratorium until July 1, 2020, and waived the income qualification criteria to ensure that no customer is without water service during the pandemic. We also waived the requirement that Bill Discount Program participants recertify their income with Dollar Energy Fund every twelve months, and the requirement that residential customers make a sincere effort payment of $150 ($75 for senior citizens) before they can access cash assistance grants. These two requirements have been waived through the end of 2020. 

We understand that this is a difficult time for many households. If you have experienced a recent loss in income due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you may now qualify for our Customer Assistance Programs. Call us today at 412-255-2423 (press 5) to see if you’re eligible for help paying your monthly water bill. Learn more by visiting pgh2o.com/CAP. 

This stormwater project is located between Kirkpatrick Street and Bentley Drive. By constructing a series of underground storage tanks, the project will help to reduce stormwater runoff from uphill neighborhoods and better manage 115 million gallons of combined sewage overflowing into the Monongahela River each year.

Although we cannot meet in person, technology brings us together for meaningful discussions about local stormwater projects.

On Wednesday, May 20th, we hosted a virtual community meeting to share information about the design of a stormwater project at the Martin Luther King, Jr./Warren K. Branch Park in Uptown. 

This park is currently used as a community garden and is one of the few flat surfaces in a very hilly part of Pittsburgh — making it an ideal location to manage stormwater. 

About 20 people attended the meeting. Representatives from Grow Pittsburgh, a nonprofit that serves as a resource and guide for gardeners and urban farmers, had questions about how the community garden will be restored. Nearby residents asked specific questions about the design of the project and how it may impact neighborhoods below the park. We are continuing to advance the design and are scheduling a follow up meeting with Grow Pittsburgh.

We appreciate everyone’s willingness to use technology and engage in a virtual space to maintain a dialogue about these important infrastructure projects.