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Public Input Needed For Pittsburgh's "Green First" Plan

PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA) -- The public is being invited to weigh in on a newly-released City-Wide Green First Plan.

City officials say the goal is to manage storm water to prevent flooding and pollution. The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority is under orders to fix the overflow, so they are adopting this so-called "Green First" approach.

"'Green First' is really just saying that we are trying to look at more natural, cost-effective solutions to address our storm water issues," said Megan Zeigler, of the PWSA.

The PWSA's Bob Weimar says the green practices will prevent the combined sewage and storm water from flooding during heavy rain. This involves installing cisterns and rain gardens to catch water on the surface.

"We're also going to be looking into building wetland areas, that will help contain and treat the water," Weimar says.

By using those solutions, they hope to keep raw sewage out of the rivers and fix dangerous flooding problems like the one on Washington Boulevard.

In a statement, Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto says, "The draft Green First Plan provides evidence that green infrastructure solutions can provide water quality benefits comparable to more disruptive and costly gray construction projects."

Peduto adds, "Going 'Green First' means we can meet our regulatory requirements while also reducing local flooding, decreasing basement backups, improving the resiliency of our communities to disaster during extreme weather events and enhance economic development in the City."

For more information on the City-Wide Green First Plan, visit the links below:

Flood-prone areas like Washington Boulevard, as well as Banksville and Maryland Avenues are just some places targeted for the green upgrades, as well as the Saw Mill Run area.

The public now has 60 days to weigh in on the plan, which should go a long way in solving two major problems -- combined sewer overflows and dangerous flooding in the city.

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