Our recent transition to Pittsburgh Water signifies that we’re in a new era – one focused steadfastly on water quality and equity, reliability, public health, and the environment. We’ve realized a variety of achievements in the recent past, and today we’d like to bring to the forefront another exciting development soon to take place in our communities and region.
This summer, from July 8 to July 11, the US Water Alliance will hold their signature event, the One Water Summit, right here in Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh being selected to host such an esteemed gathering of leading individuals, organizations, and delegations in the water space is a welcomed indication of Pittsburgh Water’s achievements in recent years. Specifically, the Alliance chose to hold their convening here in Pittsburgh because our organization has served as a national model for centering water quality and equity, sustainability, lead service line replacements, and capital investments in our infrastructure.
Our commitment to water quality extends to the more than 500,000 people we serve throughout Pittsburgh and the surrounding region. Ensuring the safe and reliable delivery of drinking water is our top priority. Our dedicated staff at the Water Treatment Plant and in our lab are constantly monitoring and measuring the quality of our drinking water, running an average of 3,000 tests each month to ensure that it meets or exceeds all state and federal drinking water requirements.
We’ve worked tirelessly to replace residential lead service lines - and we won't stop until we reach every residence. Having already replaced about 12,000 lead lines and counting, Pittsburgh Water is on track to reach this critical goal by 2027 - well ahead of the national mandate.
Our ambitious Water Reliability Plan sets forth a series of once-in-a-generation projects that serve as a significant investment in Pittsburgh’s water infrastructure and will ensure reliable water services for current and future generations of customers.
The US Water Alliance, which Pittsburgh Water has been a member of for many years, is a national nonprofit organization focused on developing common-ground, transformational solutions to America’s most pressing water challenges.
In tandem with local organizations, in 2019 we created a Water Equity Taskforce Team focused on developing more equitable water policies and practices. In 2021, the Taskforce released An Equitable Water Future: Pittsburgh - a roadmap and set of recommendations and strategies to advance water equity priorities like affordability, water quality, and workforce development. Since its release, the report has guided numerous organizational policies with support from our water equity partners and network of community organizations across Pittsburgh.
As a national model and leader in lead service line replacements, we’ve partnered with more than 30 utilities and municipalities for peer-to-peer learning, helping them to establish their own lead line removal programs.
Pittsburgh Water has also been recognized by the US Water Alliance with performance-based awards. In 2023, Pittsburgh City Councilperson and Vice Chair of our Board of Directors, Erika Strassburger, was recognized as the winner of the Alliance's US Water Prize in the Outstanding Public Official award category.
To learn more about the One Water Summit, please visit the US Water Alliance’s website.
