Turzai Calls Plan To Send Millions To PWSA A Bailout At Taxpayers' Expense

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – A top state lawmaker is blasting a move to send tens of millions of dollars to the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority.

Mike Turzai, the Republican Speaker of the Pennsylvania House, called this a bailout at the taxpayers' expense and said PWSA has been grossly mismanaged.

He said this also takes money away from water and sewer projects across the state.

Mayor Bill Peduto has talked before about unsafe levels of lead in Pittsburgh's drinking water for more than two years. He said this money will help them fix that.

The city is thanking Gov. Tom Wolf and said PWSA is receiving more than $49 million in loans and grants. They said this money will help protect the city's drinking water.

The money will also replace nearly 3,000 residential public connections, including 2,400 private lines.

PWSA launched a $44 million replacement project in March, so this money will more than double the funding for that city-wide work.