As fans filled hotels, attended concerts, and gathered throughout the city to celebrate, Pittsburgh Water worked with the City of Pittsburgh, the NFL, and local partners to ensure we were prepared to support the water and sewer needs of our residents and visitors!
Advanced Event Preparation
Two months ahead of the first-round pick, our Field Operations team began critical preparation work for the NFL Draft. Fifteen team members contributed more than 600 hours to ready the event area. Crews cleaned and inspected catch basins, evaluated sewer and drain lines, and exercised and marked water valves throughout the main event footprint, the North Shore, and beyond.
Because the main stage was positioned in a critical area, the team incorporated additional preparations to ensure reliable access for any needed utility response. They confirmed that key valves could be reached quickly and identified alternative access points outside the immediate event zone. With crews stationed just minutes away at Pittsburgh Water’s River Avenue Operations Center, the team was well‑positioned to promptly address any water‑related issue.
Coordinated Emergency Planning
Ahead of the Draft, our Safety & Security team worked extensively with partners at the NFL, local utilities and emergency management agencies to develop a comprehensive response plan to provide support for any emergency maintenance needs that may arise, including potential water main breaks or other more disruptive issues. This included clear protocols for different levels of response, helping us stay agile during a high‑visibility, high‑traffic event.
Throughout the event, our Safety & Security staff maintained a presence within the City’s Emergency Operations Center, managed by the Office of Emergency Management & the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Their full‑time presence was intended to ensure rapid communication and coordination, whether in the case of responding to an urgent repair or monitoring conditions to keep our system operating smoothly.
Preparing for Higher Water Consumption
Large events place an increased demand on our water system, from hotel occupancy, to restaurant activity, to outdoor festivities. While April is typically one of our lowest‑demand months (it falls in between harsh winter temperatures when breaks are more likely and warmer summer months when recreational water use increases), we were prepared for the NFL Draft to change that trend.
To prepare, our Water Treatment Plant teams analyzed historical usage patterns, including normal spikes from Steelers home games and major stadium concerts. That gave us a good sense of what higher‑than‑normal demand might look like, so we planned accordingly. As it turned out, a lot of visitors stayed outside Pittsburgh Water’s service area, so overall usage stayed right around our typical seasonal levels at about 64 million gallons per day. Still, our teams went through all the right prep work to make sure everything ran smoothly. We were fully ready to meet any increased demand—and proud to deliver reliable service throughout the event.
Supporting a Safe and Successful Draft Week
Hosting an event of this scale requires strong coordination, planning, and teamwork—both within Pittsburgh Water and across the city. We’re proud to have played our part in welcoming visitors from around the country and ensuring Pittsburgh’s water system remains dependable throughout the festivities!
