Pittsburgh, PA – Pittsburgh Water celebrates the eighth year of its Community Lead Response, a multi-million-dollar initiative to improve water quality and remove all residential lead service lines from its system. 2024 was a busy and future-focused year for the utility, with several high-profile media engagements and substantial changes to lead regulations at the federal level. Through all this, Pittsburgh Water continues to be a regional and national leader in lead service line replacement, protecting current and future Pittsburgh residents from the risks of lead in drinking water.
Lead service line replacement on the scale Pittsburgh Water has committed to requires a vast array of experts to move a project from conception to construction. Every day, data analysts, engineers, customer service representatives, jobsite inspectors, and construction teams are hard at work replacing lead lines with professionalism and attention to detail. Pittsburgh Water’s $10.2 million direct investment in 2024 resulted in $16 million in economic benefits to the region, boosting the workforce and helping to drive the local economy.
“Significant improvements to federal lead regulations were rolled out this year, with many utilities around the country set to start their lead remediation efforts by 2027. Pittsburgh Water is fortunate to have years of lead line replacement under our belt, putting us on track to complete all residential lead line replacements by 2027,” said Pittsburgh Water CEO Will Pickering.
Having a mature program as new regulations take form has also allowed Pittsburgh Water to quickly take advantage of Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) funding as it became available. To-date Pittsburgh Water has received over $149 million in BIL funds, nearly half as grant funding that does not need to be repaid. This unique influx in funding from the federal government has allowed Pittsburgh Water to aggressively replace lead lines and work towards completing its efforts while reducing the overall financial burden on ratepaying customers. Utilizing these funds while they are available has been a top priority for Pittsburgh Water, as grant money allows for work to be done at no direct cost to our customers, and low interest loans allow for millions in savings over time compared to traditional municipal bonds.
Over the past year, Pittsburgh Water has cited the following accomplishments:
- Distributed over 2,400 free lead water test kits to customers curious about the water quality in their home. Free kits are available to residential water customers on the Pittsburgh Water website.
- Provided over 2,500 certified lead water filters and pitchers to customers. Kits are left at all lead line replacement locations and are sent to homes with elevated lead testing.
- Completed over 5,100 service line verifications to confirm the material of service lines around Pittsburgh, improving inventory records and identifying lead lines to be replaced.
- Fielded over 20,000 calls and 13,000 emails to a dedicated Lead Help Desk.
- Reimbursed 55 homeowners through the Lead Line Reimbursement Program, allowing them to proactively replace their lead line by working through a private plumber.
- Consulted with 10 other water providers across the nation on best practices for starting a lead line replacement program.
These efforts resulted in 1,370 public and 1,255 private lead service line replacements in 2024, a direct investment of over $10.2 million in Pittsburgh Water’s system.
Maintaining High Water Quality
Orthophosphate has kept lead levels low as Pittsburgh Water works to remove all lead lines.
While Pittsburgh Water is in compliance with state and federal water regulations, we still regularly test our water to ensure our corrosion control, orthophosphate, is working properly. In summer of 2024, we performed a voluntary round of testing involving over 80 homes with lead service lines. We used testing parameters that were in line with upcoming Lead and Copper Rule regulations, which require multiple samples be taken.
Results showed a 90th percentile result of 3.54 parts per billion, which is well below the federal action level of 15 parts per billion. Even with stricter testing protocols, lead levels remain low.
Sharing a Story of Progress
News of Pittsburgh Water’s Community Lead Response has made its way to all levels of government, resulting in two high-profile lead events last year. In February, Pittsburgh Water hosted former Vice President Kamala Harris at a lead service line replacement site in Elliott, as part of her visit to Pittsburgh highlighting the dangers of lead in the environment. The former vice president, as well as state and local leaders, touted the progress of the Community Lead Response and the strategic utilization of federal funds to advance this work.
In October, Pittsburgh Water welcomed the former EPA Head of Water, Bruno Pigott, on his national tour highlighting investments to remove lead in drinking water. In his speech, he congratulated Pittsburgh Water on leading the nation in this effort.
Ready for New Regulations
In October, the improved Lead and Copper Rule went into effect. Across the nation, water utilities must bolster their lead inventory, school testing, lead line replacement, and public education around lead.
Thanks to nearly a decade of prioritizing lead line replacement, Pittsburgh Water is on track to complete its replacement program by the time many utilities across the country are just beginning. The organization is meeting all new regulatory standards that went into effect immediately, like enhanced water testing and developing a comprehensive inventory of all service line material in its distribution system.
Resources
Last year, Pittsburgh Water also retired its long-standing, separate lead website and incorporated all the most important lead information onto its main website. To learn more about lead in drinking water, order a free lead test kit, or see if your home has a lead line that’s yet to be replaced, visit pgh2o.com/lead.
