Spring/Summer 2026 Updates

As construction season ramps up, Pittsburgh Water is moving forward with a number of major infrastructure projects that strengthen our water, sewer, and stormwater systems. These investments are essential to protecting public health, reducing flooding, improving service reliability, and ensuring the rates our customers pay are put to work building a more resilient system for generations to come. Here’s a look at what’s underway and what’s coming this year.

Featured & Upcoming Projects

Highland Reservoir Pump Station 

Construction of the new Highland Reservoir Pump Station (HRPS), our first new, major water facility construction project in two decades, is complete and the building has been put into preliminary service.  

Pumps that send water to our Garfield Tank were the first to be turned on (April 14) and have been in use since then. The pumps that deliver water to our Highland 1 sub-system were put into testing on April 28. Preliminary operation of the Highland Reservoir pumps has shown that they are able to maintain more consistent pressures in the Highland 1 district. Full operation of the pumps at the HRPS is anticipated to be underway in May.  

The new HRPS will provide increased pumping capacity and will serve as a redundant supply to the Highland 1 pressure district, helping to maintain reliable water service and reduce the risk of outages for more than half of our drinking water customers. 

Schedule: Construction on the Highland Pump Station began January 2024 and the facility is now in preliminary service. 

ABC Project 

Construction continues on Pittsburgh Water’s ABC Project, a key part of our ongoing Water Reliability Plan. Bringing together three major upgrades to our water system, the Project will restore vital pumping power and boost the reliability of water distribution for the entire city.  

The ABC Project includes:  

• Aspinwall Pump Station Improvements: Crews will install four new pumping units, upgrade electrical systems, replace an aging chemical feed building, and restore architectural elements of the historic structure. 
• Bruecken Pump Station Upgrades: A new pump station will be built adjacent to the existing structure, housing six pumps and a new electrical substation. 
• Clearwell Bypass Project: We’ll construct a new large-diameter underground piping system around the existing 44-million-gallon Clearwell. This will allow planned bypassing of the filtered water from the Aspinwall Water Treatment Plant Filter Building around the existing Clearwell to the Aspinwall and Bruecken Pump Stations for the duration of the ABC Project construction.

At the Aspinwall Pump Station, crews are finishing selective demolition and establishing temporary lighting and power for construction activities. We’ve completed utility locations and field measurements for the infrastructure to be placed. At the Bruecken site, we’ve demolished the Bruecken Garage. Contractors are well underway with the site initiation measurements and placement of the site fencing. Lastly, at the Clearwell site, all trees that we were required to remove as part of agency regulations have been cleared. We’ve also conducted utility locates and successfully confirmed the location of the existing Clearwell and its twin pipes.

Neighborhood Investments

Water System Improvements

Crews continue to upgrade essential water infrastructure across the city, replacing aging water mains, updating hydrants, repairing valves, and reinforcing transmission mains. These investments reduce water main breaks, improve system pressure, and ensure the reliable delivery of drinking water. Projects are underway or soon to begin in Troy Hill, Lower Lawrenceville, Squirrel Hill, North Oakland, Elliott and Brighton Heights.

Sewer System Upgrades

In addition to our drinking water system improvements, Pittsburgh Water continues to rehabilitate and replace aging sewers to strengthen our sewer system and extend the useful life of our sewer mains. Work includes spot repairs, manhole rehabilitation, and the structural lining of sewer mains, all of which will help prevent basement backups and improve overall system performance. Projects are underway or soon to begin in Perry North, Sheraden, Beltzhoover, Westwood, Ridgemont and Arlington. 

Lead Service Line Replacements

We continue to make great progress on our lead service line replacement efforts. Construction crews replaced over 1,800 public lead service lines and close to 1,800 private lines last year, remaining on track to remove all private lead service lines from our service area by 2027. Learn more about our community lead response!

Street & Sidewalk Restoration

Following construction, restoration crews repair streets, sidewalks, and landscaping disturbed during utility work. Restoration begins in the spring and continues through fall. 

We provide a daily updated restoration schedule and a full-season map organized by ward on our Street & Sidewalk Restoration page, helping customers stay informed about what to expect on their block. Our sidewalk and street restoration schedule is updated daily, with longer range restoration estimates listed by neighborhood. The updates can be found on our Street and Sidewalk Restoration page!