Skip to main content

ALERT

PWSA has issued a precautionary boil water advisory in portions of the East End.

Learn More

Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority

Home
  • Residential & Commercial Customers
    • Residential & Commercial Customers Overview
    • Account & Billing Info
    • Rates
    • Service Changes
    • Buying or Selling Property
    • Customer Assistance Programs
    • Pipe Ownership
    • Backflow Device Testing
    • Tips, Maintenance & Prevention
  • Developers, Contractors & Vendors
    • Developers, Contractors & Vendors Overview
    • Bids & Opportunities
    • Supplier Diversity Program
    • Permits
    • Developer's Manual & Standard Details
    • 2022 Business Development Series
  • Projects & Maintenance
    • Projects & Maintenance Overview
    • Service Outages
    • Search All Projects
    • Planning & Future Projects
    • Construction Projects
    • Water Main Replacement
    • 2022 Lead Line Replacement Programs
    • Common Issues & Questions
  • Your Water
    • Your Water Overview
    • Water
    • Water Quality & Treatment
    • Water Reliability Plan
    • Sewer
    • Stormwater
    • Our Service Area
    • Lead Information
    • Educational Resources & Videos
    • National Water Sector Events
  • About Us
    • About Us Overview
    • Board & Board Meetings
    • Executive Leadership
    • Mission, Vision and Core Values
    • Careers
    • Finance
    • Environmental Compliance
    • Performance
    • Rules & Regulations
    • Contact Us
  • News & Events
    • News & Events Overview
    • Currents Newsletter
    • Press Releases
    • Events & Meetings
  • Search

What can we help you find?

Report an Issue Pay a Bill
Don't have an account?
Sign up now
Other ways to pay
Don't have an account?
Sign up now
Learn how to set up usage alerts

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. News & Events
  3. Newsletter & Press
  4. Currents Newsletter
  5. PWSA Releases 2021 Water Quality Report

PWSA Releases 2021 Water Quality Report

06/2022
Understanding your water quality
A look inside of our Microfiltration Plant

As stewards of a vital natural and public resource, PWSA is committed to providing safe and reliable drinking water to the communities we serve. We’re proud to release our 2021 Water Quality Report. This annual report, also known as the Consumer Confidence Report, outlines our treatment process, the effectiveness of water quality testing, and the sample results of the various contaminants found in our drinking water.

We encourage you to read the full report on our Water Quality & Treatment webpage. To drive greater understanding of PWSA’s water quality and treatment work, we also responded to some of the questions most frequently asked by customers.

Is my water safe to drink?

Yes, drinking water distributed to PWSA customers in Pittsburgh is safe for drinking, personal hygiene, cleaning, cooking, and other essential daily uses.

Where does my drinking water come from?

Drinking water supplied by PWSA is drawn from the Allegheny River. This iconic river begins in north central Pa. and ends in Pittsburgh, where it joins the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River.

How’s my drinking water treated?

On average, 66 million gallons of water are treated each day. Water drawn from the Allegheny River enters our Aspinwall Water Treatment Plant and undergoes three stages of treatment over three full days prior to distribution.

  • Clarification: This step removes suspended solids – like silt and clay – from raw water using a chemical process that clumps organic material together. This material settles out of the water by gravity.
  • Filtration: Clarified water passes slowly through anthracite and sand filters to remove fine particles like microorganisms.
  • Disinfection: Filtered water is sent through a large storage tank (the clearwell) and treated with chlorine to inactivate harmful microorganisms. Sodium carbonate is added to adjust pH and fluoride is added to prevent cavities.

How frequently is my water tested?

Your water is tested every step of its journey by dedicated professionals responsible for operating, maintaining, and monitoring our water system. 

Each day, we test for approximately 100 different chemical and microbial constituents before, during, and after the treatment process. Additionally, we perform approximately 2,500 routine tests per month at the Water Treatment Plant and Microfiltration Filtration Plant. Lastly, we perform approximately 1,500 routine tests per month at various points of the distribution system.

Are lead levels in compliance?

Our lead levels remain firmly in compliance with the EPA’s action level of 15 ppb. Since the establishment of our industry-leading Community Lead Response program in 2016, we’ve replaced more than 9,136 public lead service lines and 6,048 private lead service lines.

We remain dedicated to removing all lead service lines from our system through targeted programs. Our Priority Lead Service Line Replacement project will replace lead service lines at locations with elevated lead samples taken via our sampling program (request a test kit here). Please visit our project webpage for more information.

Print This Page
Share
  • email
  • twitter
  • facebook

Related Newsletters

Construction crews on Hazelwood Avenue remove the 10,000th lead service line.

Newsletter

10,000 Lead Service Lines Relaced and Counting…

03/2023 -
A recap of PWSA’s celebration around this critical public health milestone
The front cover of our Developer's Manual

Newsletter

Attention Developers: Join Our 2023 Developer’s Roundtable

03/2023 -
The event will be held at our administration office at 1200 Penn Avenue on April 5 from 9 - 10 a.m.

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Media Kit & Contacts

Media Kit


24/7 Media Line
412-430-3898
 

PGH2O

Contact Us

412-255-2423
Report an Emergency Press 1
Customer Service Press 5

Send us a Message

1200 Penn Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15222

Follow Us

Footer First Column

  • Check Your Usage
  • Update Your Contact Info
  • Service Outages
  • Rules & Regulations

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Footer Second Column

  • Residential & Commercial Customers
  • Developers, Contractors & Vendors
  • Projects & Maintenance
  • Your Water
  • About Us
  • News & Events
Copyright © 2023 Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority
Powered by Interpersonal Frequency I.F. Logo