PWSA Says It's Replaced Half Of Pittsburgh's Lead Service Lines, On Track For 2026 Goal

90.5 WESA
Margaret Fleming

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The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority is halfway to meeting its goal of replacing all of the city’s lead services lines by 2026. A new water-treatment additive called orthophosphate brought lead levels down to their lowest in 20 years, but that hasn’t changed construction plans.

“The fact that we're keeping our foot on the gas pedal, even though we don't have to continue to replace lead lines because that treatment is working, is what's a unique part of our program,” said PWSA CEO Will Pickering.

PWSA has replaced more than 8,500 public lead service lines and more than 5,000 private lines since 2017 through the Community Lead Response program, according to Pickering. If crews encounter a private lead line while replacing the public one, they’ll replace both at the same time at no direct charge to customers. More than 90 percent of property owners signed an agreement to allow PWSA to replace their private service line, Pickering said.