Allegheny County Controller: PWSA Restructuring Is A 'Distraction'

PITTSBURGH (NewsRadio 1020 KDKA) -- The blows keep coming for the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority.

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto announced the resignation of three PWSA board members, including the board chair, in a release Wednesday. Board Chair Alex Thompson and board members Andrea Geraghty and Caren Glotfelty submitted their resignations over the last week.

Peduto says he has extended invitations to three new board members and expects to name them this week. He says the new members would assist ongoing efforts to modernize the authority and address its systematic deficiencies.

He says the former board members will be relied upon for insight while studies are underway to restructure the authority.

Allegheny County Controller Chelsa Wagner says the restructure is the latest "distraction" by the Peduto administration, and called for action to remove lead from Pittsburgh's drinking water.

Wagner joined Robert Mangino on the KDKA Afternoon News on Wednesday. She says not enough has been done to address the lead levels in the water.

"I think it speaks to the very big governance issues that we have, and ultimately, the big problem that we have. We have a huge drinking water problem here in Pittsburgh and we do not have a mayor who is committed to fixing it whatsoever," she said.

Wagner says the focus should not be on studies or naming advisory panels.

"First and foremost, Pittsburgh needs to fix and [sic] get the lead out of its drinking water. That doesn't take study upon study, it takes action," she said.

Check out the Allegheny County Controller's full interview with Robert Mangino below:

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