A contractor replaces a lead service line. Pittsburgh Water is on track to replace all residential lead service lines by 2027.
In the May 20 primary election, Pittsburgh residents overwhelmingly supported a ballot measure that secures the continued public ownership of our city's water and sewer system.
I was pleased to see this strong endorsement, which reaffirms our community’s commitment to public stewardship of this life-essential utility.
Pittsburgh Water is the only publicly owned and operated water utility in Pennsylvania with oversight from the PA Public Utility Commission (PUC). This unique structure benefits customers in multiple ways. We’re held to the same standards as private utilities when it comes to rate setting and operational standards.
Unlike private utilities, however, every dollar we receive is reinvested back into the water systems we all rely upon for the future benefit of all our customers and communities.
Decades of underinvestment and previous mismanagement by a private operator from 2012 to 2015 left our water system in need. Since that time, through the tremendous efforts of our devoted workforce, we’ve made tremendous progress. In 2024 alone, we invested a record $204 million in capital improvement projects to enhance water quality and service reliability. Our lead service line replacement program is among the country’s most comprehensive, with a commitment to replacing all residential lead lines by 2027 at no direct cost to customers.
Construction crews lay the foundation for the new Highland Reservoir Pump Station.
Beyond removing lead from our system, we’re advancing a series of transformational projects under the Water Reliability Plan. These multi-generational projects represent a $470 million investment in improving key components of our treatment and distribution systems to ensure long-term safety and reliability.
We recognize that expertise from the private sector is essential to delivering construction projects like the Water Reliability Plan. In fact, all $204 million of our 2024 capital project work was completed by private contractors, generating about $312 million in economic activity in the region.
From keeping lead levels at record lows over the past several years, to the steady upward trend seen in our recent bi-annual customer satisfaction surveys, the true potential of public ownership is being borne out in real time.
By responsibly reinvesting 100 percent of our ratepayer funds back into the water, sewer, and stormwater systems that serve us all, we can make these necessary upgrades more efficiently than a private company that may have shareholders or investors who expect to see profits.
I'm very proud to lead our team of public servants. While we still have much work ahead, Pittsburgh Water is committed to delivering safe, high-quality water services, now and for future generations.
We appreciate the community’s trust and look forward to continuing our mission of responsible stewardship for this vital public asset.
- Will Pickering, CEO
