Updates
January 20, 2026, 3:30 PM
Pittsburgh Water continues to mitigate the ice formation at our water intake along the Allegheny River. The barge and tugboat came through to break up the ice and debris that it could access. Pumping capacity has returned to normal and Water Treatment Plant staff continue to utilize manual tactics to keep ice away from the intake. We will assess the intakes further and determine if additional maintenance is needed this week. Pittsburgh Water will continue to monitor levels at our storage tanks and service remains uninterrupted.
Background: What happened
Cold temperatures led to ice obstructing our water intake along the Allegheny River. The obstruction reduced the volume of treated water produced at our water treatment plant
Has this ever happened before? Ice is common this time of year in the Allegheny River. Typically, obstructions are managed by temporarily turning off pumping, allowing the ice to flow past the intake. This incident is unique because the ice obstruction was not easily cleared from the intake.
What mitigation efforts are being done to address the issue? Pittsburgh Water is using several different tactics to mitigate this situation including manually breaking the ice from above, hosing to keep ice away from the intake, and mechanical efforts from a barge to break up ice and debris.
How does the intake process work? Raw water from the Allegheny River is pulled into the intake and it is then screened and directed into pumps that bring water into the Plant for treatment.
Is the problem expected to continue as the weather is expected to remain cold in the upcoming days? Pittsburgh Water will continue to monitor the situation while the cold weather persists.
Has the ice blockage damaged anything at the intake center or outside of it? We have not observed any damage at this time and are continuing to monitor the intake gates.
What have the impacts of this been? Are there any concerns at this time that residents may lose water service or water pressure because of the ice blockage? Pittsburgh Water was able to maintain water service to customers and there were no service interruptions.
Is there an estimated restoration time? There were no water interruptions to customers from this event. Pittsburgh Water resumed operating at normal pumping capacity at the Water Treatment Plant at approximately 1pm today.
January 20, 2026, 12:30 PM
Pittsburgh Water continues to clear the ice formation at our water intake along the Allegheny River and pumping capacity at the Water Treatment Plant has improved. The barge and tugboat remain en route. Upon their arrival, coordination will continue to mitigate the ice blockage. We are continuing to monitor water levels at our storage tanks, and service currently remains uninterrupted. Pittsburgh Water will provide the next update at 2:30.
January 20, 2026, 11:25 AM
Pittsburgh Water continues to work with emergency responders and partners to clear the ice formation at our water intake along the Allegheny River. Water Treatment Plant staff has successfully broken up some of the ice formation and a barge and tugboat are en route to support this effort. We are continuing to monitor water levels at our storage tanks and service currently remains uninterrupted.
January 20, 2026, 10:45 AM
Ice in the Allegheny River is blocking Pittsburgh Water’s intake into the water treatment plant. The blockage is restricting capacity and preventing normal pumping operations within Pittsburgh Water’s service area. This may impact pressure and water service in portions of the service area, especially in higher elevation neighborhoods.
Pittsburgh Water is working with emergency responders and partners to clear the ice formation as soon as possible to return to normal operations.