City Beating This Year's Lead Pipe Replacement Goals, PWSA Says

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- The city is beating this year's goals for removing lead and improving water quality.

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) says since mid-March, it has already replaced over 700 public service lines that contain lead -- setting the agency on track to replace over 3,700 more by June 2020.

For comparison, crews replaced some 2,000 lead lines in 2018, according to PWSA. The agency says this year's project is more than twice the size, receiving $49 million in funding from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority.

"We're very encouraged with the pace of the first few months of this priority project. With each lead line replaced, we're renewing infrastructure and also protecting public health," PWSA's executive director, Robert Weimar, said in a statement. "We're also pleased that this year's program is benefiting from the advice and guidance of our expert advisory committee."

PWSA says its Community Lead Response Advisory Committee -- consisting of public health, policy, regulator and engineering experts -- helped the agency prioritize its work zones for 2019 by considering factors like blood lead levels, proximity and number of young children, and probability of lead pipes in the area.

For more information on the city's lead replacement program and to learn about your area's water service line, visit PWSA's website.