May 1, 2026
Pittsburgh, PA - Pittsburgh Water today announced the launch of Pittsburgh Drinks Tap, a new public education campaign focused on building customer confidence in the quality, safety, affordability, and sustainability of Pittsburgh’s drinking water.
The campaign comes as Pittsburgh Water continues significant investments in its system, including a $470 million Water Reliability Plan and an aggressive lead service line replacement program, both aimed at improving long-term reliability and public health outcomes for customers across the city.
“Providing safe, reliable drinking water is our responsibility, but earning our customers’ confidence is just as important,” said Will Pickering, CEO of Pittsburgh Water. “Pittsburgh Drinks Tap is about showing the work, the testing, the investment, and the progress, so customers can feel confident in the water coming from their tap.”
Pittsburgh Water’s drinking water meets or exceeds all federal and state regulations and is tested thousands of times each month across dozens of locations throughout its system. The utility also publishes an annual Consumer Confidence Report to provide transparent, accessible water quality data to the public.
“Access to safe, reliable drinking water is essential, but trust in that water hasn’t always been equal across our country,” said Congresswoman Summer Lee. “Efforts like Pittsburgh Drinks Tap are important because they focus on transparency, investment, and making sure every community has the information and confidence they deserve. Clean water should never depend on your ZIP code, your income, or how loud your community has to fight to be heard. It should live in every home, on every block, and in every neighborhood.”
The campaign builds on recent recognition of Pittsburgh Water’s commitment to quality, including earning the American Water Works Association (AWWA) Phase III Directors Award, one of the nation’s highest honors for drinking water excellence.
Pittsburgh Drinks Tap will highlight real-world examples of tap water use across the community, including local businesses that rely on Pittsburgh tap water every day. One example is Compass Point Coffee in Millvale, which participated in routine water quality testing and chose to switch from bottled water to Pittsburgh tap water based on confidence in its quality.
“For us, it always comes down to quality,” said Compass Point Coffee owner Eric Hodos. “We would not use the water if it wasn’t the best water we could get. After seeing the testing results and doing our own taste comparisons, we felt confident we were serving the best possible product using Pittsburgh tap water.”
The campaign also emphasizes the affordability and environmental benefits of tap water. Tap water costs just pennies per gallon, while bottled water can cost hundreds to thousands of times more. Choosing tap also helps reduce plastic waste and the environmental impact associated with bottled water production and transportation.
“Investing in our water system is an investment in the future of Pittsburgh," said Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor. “Pittsburgh Water has done great work and is continuing its momentum through infrastructure improvements and lead line replacement. This campaign helps connect that work to everyday life for residents and families across our city.”
Pittsburgh Drinks Tap will include partnerships with local businesses, community organizations, and elected officials, as well as digital content, media outreach, and public engagement efforts designed to provide clear, transparent information about drinking water.
The campaign officially launched at a media event held at Allegheny RiverTrail Park, bringing together regional leaders and community partners to highlight the importance of safe, reliable, affordable, and sustainable water. For more information about Pittsburgh Drinks Tap, please visit www.pgh2o.com/DrinkTap.
