News Story

With over $100 million invested in our infrastructure, 2019 was our most productive year ever, and we’re poised to continue to deliver for our customers in 2020.  

**Sewer Improvements **

Our sewer system has served us well for over a century, but we must begin to rehabilitate these pipes to avoid dangerous situations like backups or flooding. In 2019, we lined nearly five miles of sewer, which adds decades of life to the line by creating a new barrier, or sleeve, inside the old pipe. Additionally, over 1,700 storm drains were cleaned and 800 were replaced, ensuring that our sewers can properly channel stormwater away from streets, homes, and businesses around the city. We will line an additional 16 miles of sewers in 2020. 

Water System Rehabilitation

We worked to rehabilitate some of our larger water facilities, like the Lanpher Reservoir that serves the northern neighborhoods Pittsburgh. We’re also working to return the Microfiltration Plant in Highland Park back into service, which serves many of our customers in the east end of the city. Ultraviolet disinfection systems have been installed and we will continue our project to upgrade the walkway, wall, and railing around the open reservoir in Highland Park. Continuing our progress into 2020, we’re also busy designing over 15 miles of new water mains. 

New Solutions to Stormwater Issues

Our approach to stormwater challenges is dynamic, as there is not a single solution for every neighborhood. We’re collecting data on the pattern of flooding, basement backups, and geological shifts caused by the increased number of heavy storm events. In 2019, we implemented stream bank restorations in Brookline, rain gardens in Carrick, and stormwater sensors in Four Mile Run to help us manage excess water naturally. We are currently designing 24 projects, some of which will begin in 2020, all in effort to reduce the negative effects of increased stormwater in the area. These projects will help reduce pollution in our waterways and improve public health and safety for our customers. 

A Stronger PWSA

These crucial improvements to our water, sewer, and stormwater systems require investment from our customers. This also means we need improvements to our assistance programs that make our services affordable for all customers. We continued to expand and promote all our income assistance programs and will continue to learn from experts and water providers around the country to create the best assistance programs possible.   

With a successful 2019 behind us, we look forward to continuing to improve and taking on new challenges in 2020. To follow our progress, visit pgh2o.com/projects-maintenance and     headwaters.pgh2o.com