Pittsburgh Water Replaces 14,000th Lead Service Line

Community Lead Response continues aggressive pace toward 2027 completion goal.
Water droplet leaking from a bathroom faucet

January 8, 2026

Pittsburgh, PA

Pittsburgh Water has reached a major milestone in its nationally-recognized Community Lead Response, officially replacing its 14,000th lead service line since the initiative began in 2016. Pittsburgh is now regarded as one of the nation’s leading cities in proactively removing lead service lines, moving faster than many large water systems in the country. This ongoing work comes at no direct cost to customers, reflecting the utility’s commitment to protecting public health and delivering equitable water service across each community it serves. 

There is no safe level of lead in drinking water. That’s why Pittsburgh Water is committed to replacing all residential lead lines in its system— both publicly and privately owned — to ensure cleaner, safer water for current and future generations of customers. While this work continues, customers can be confident that their drinking water meets the highest standards of safety and quality. Due to the utility’s highly effective water treatment process that includes the food-grade corrosion control additive orthophosphate, Pittsburgh Water recently recorded the lowest lead levels in its history: just 2 parts per billion (ppb), substantially lower than the 15 ppb regulatory limit 

“We’ve achieved some truly remarkable successes in 2025, from getting lead levels down to a historically-low 2 ppb, to reaching yet another milestone in lead service line replacements,” said Pittsburgh Water CEO Will Pickering. “None of this would be possible without our deeply dedicated team and local partners. It’s that dedication that’s keeping us on pace to replace every residential lead line in our system before the end of 2027, placing us years ahead of most comparable water utilities across the country.” 

To help finance this undertaking, Pittsburgh Water has strategically relied on alternative funding sources, primarily in the form of state and federal funding administered by the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST). Since 2018, PENNVEST has awarded Pittsburgh Water $795,774,703 in low-interest loans and $115,969,811 in grants for a total of $911,744,514, with their most recent award of nearly $78 million announced in October 2025. These funding infusions help Pittsburgh Water live up to its commitments to protect public health while providing equitable access to high-quality, affordable water services. 

“PENNVEST’s grants and low-interest loans have played a critical role in supporting our Community Lead Response,” said Pickering. “This is a costly undertaking, and part of our commitment to equity and affordability is making sure our customers don’t bear all of the financial burden of these essential projects. Because of PENNVEST’s continued support and investment in Pittsburgh’s water future, we’re able to maintain an aggressive pace while keeping ratepayer costs as low as possible.” 

Pittsburgh Water Resources

To view current and future lead line replacement projects and access the available material information on service lines down to the address, Pittsburgh Water customers may visit pgh2o.com/leadmap. 

To learn more about Pittsburgh Water's Community Lead Response and find more information about waterborne lead, visit pgh2o.com/lead. 

For information on affordability and Customer Assistance Programs, customers can visit pgh2o.com/CAP.