March 5, 2026
Pittsburgh, PA - Pittsburgh Water is set to invest more than $89 million to replace aging water mains across seven Pittsburgh neighborhoods, improving drinking water quality, strengthening reliability, and modernizing critical infrastructure.
The approved construction contracts will fund water main replacement projects in Elliott, Crafton Heights, West End, Hazelwood, South Side Slopes, South Side Flats, and Troy Hill as part of Pittsburgh Water’s ongoing Water Main Replacement Program. This essential work will create nearly 500 family-sustaining union jobs and generate more than $111 million in economic activity for our region.
“These projects are an example of our continued commitment to investing in Pittsburgh’s water infrastructure,’ said Pittsburgh Water CEO Will Pickering. “By replacing older mains before they leak and break, we reduce service disruptions, improve system reliability, and provide better long-term service to our customers.”
Building Long-Term Reliability
The water mains being replaced with this investment total 11.1 miles – just about 1.2 percent of Pittsburgh’s approximately 961-mile distribution system that serves residential neighborhoods and businesses throughout the city. The projects, scheduled from 2026 through 2027, will also replace 120 fire hydrants, 662 valves, and 1,607 water service lines. Proactive replacement reduces the likelihood of disruptive water main breaks, improves drinking water quality, and supports reliable fire protection for the communities these mains serve.
Water main replacement locations are selected using a comprehensive, data-driven evaluation process. Projects are prioritized based on:
- The prevalence of lead service lines
- Undersized or dead-end water mains
- Water mains with a history of frequent breaks
- Infrastructure that has exceeded its useful life
"These investments will improve public health," Pickering said. "We are modernizing infrastructure that, in many cases, has been in the ground for close to a century and ensuring our system continues to deliver safe, dependable water for generations to come."
