Pittsburgh, PA - Earlier this week, Pittsburgh Water reached a significant milestone in its Community Lead Response with the replacement of its 12,000th lead service line. The work came at no direct cost to customers, reflecting the organization’s commitment to protect public health and deliver equitable water service.
There is no “safe” level of lead in drinking water. Therefore, Pittsburgh Water is committed to replacing all residential lead lines in the system, both publicly and privately-owned, to improve water quality for their customers now and into the future. While the organization works to replace all these lead lines, they have implemented a highly effective corrosion control treatment that keeps lead levels at record lows and protects customers while continuing their multimillion-dollar replacement efforts.
“Completing another thousand lead service line replacements puts us one step closer to removing all residential lead service lines in our system,” said Pittsburgh Water CEO Will Pickering. “Providing this service for free in in the areas most at-risk for lead exposure means customers will not have to bear the financial impact of removing this legacy infrastructure,” he said.
This achievement comes weeks after a special visit from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Head of Water, Bruno Pigott, who was in town to tout millions in funding to replace lead lines and upgrade water infrastructure in the region. He was joined by U.S. Congresswoman Summer Lee and State Representative Lindsay Powell, who shared remarks on how this program has positively impacted the utility’s customers. Pigott and his team acknowledged the great progress Pittsburgh Water has made, stating they are leading the way in their efforts to remove lead. This visit came on the heels of the Lead and Copper Rule Improvements, a more robust national standard for removing lead service lines across the country.
Leading the Nation in Lead Line Replacement
Bruno Pigott (second from left), then-Deputy Assistant Administrator for the EPA's Office of Water, visited the Hazelwood neighborhood in February 2023 to view the 10,000th lead line replacement. Pittsburgh Water has since replaced 2,000 more lead lines.
Pittsburgh Water has been heavily focused on removing lead service lines and improving water quality since 2016, when their Community Lead Response program first began. They tout this Community Lead Response as a carefully tailored program, strategically and thoughtfully designed to best serve their customers. Some of its features include:
- Residential lead service line replacements – at no direct cost to the customer - with an average of 1,500 replaced every year since 2016.
- Free lead test kits for residential customers.
- Mapped service line material data.
- Stringent lead testing parameters to comply with state and federal regulations and provide customers with the best available data on water quality.
- A Lead Line Reimbursement Program, for those who want to proactively replace the private side of their lead line before a Pittsburgh Water project reaches them.
- A dedicated Lead Help Desk, which addresses all lead-related questions and concerns for customers.
- State and federal funding sources that keep the cost of the program as low as possible.
This customer-first approach has drawn the attention of water utilities, regulators, and industry professionals from across the country. Pittsburgh Water’s Community Lead Response team has consulted with 32 organizations since 2021, sharing best practices and lessons learned with those just starting their lead line replacement journey.
Relacing All Lead Lines
Pittsburgh Water aims to replace all residential lead lines in their system by 2027, a little over 10 years since the program began. This schedule for completion will allow the utility to maximize federal funding, which comes with increased grant money, while it is available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. This approach will maintain a steady, aggressive pace toward removing the remaining lead lines while putting the least financial impact on Pittsburgh Water’s ratepayers.
Resources
- Read more about lead in drinking water and how Pittsburgh Water is meeting the challenge.
- To see current and future lead line replacement projects and review the available material information on service lines down to the address, Pittsburgh Water customers may visit pgh2o.com/leadmap.
- To request a lead test kit and to learn more about the water quality in their home, Pittsburgh Water customers can visit pgh2o.com/leadform.
- Read more about how Pittsburgh Water is meeting the new Lead and Copper Rule Improvements.
