September 2019 NEW AGREEMENT WITH DEP SETS COURSE FOR PITTSBURGH’S WATER FUTURE IN THIS ISSUE: 1 DEP Consent Order In September 2019, our Board of 2 RAW Talk Directors authorized Executive Director Robert Weimar to sign a 3 PWSA in the Community Consent Order and Agreement with the Pennsylvania 5 PWSA in the News Department of Environmental 6 Team PWSA Protection (DEP) to restore 9 Engineering & functionality and water system Construction resiliency as well as modernize our infrastructure. The signed 10 Water Wise agreement will ultimately result 11 PWSA Connect in critical upgrades to our aging water distribution system that COMING UP: serves approximately 520,000 people in the Pittsburgh area. 2019 Board Meetings October 25 Projects identified in November 22 the agreement include: December 20 Rehabilitating or replacing Meetings begin at 10:00 am two rising water mains to at 1200 Penn Avenue and are the Highland 2 Reservoir in open to the public. Highland Park, replacing the Water treatment infrastructure at the Highland 1 Reservoir Microfiltration Plant. cover and liner of the Highland Riverview Park Day - Stormwater Outreach 2 Reservoir, constructing a disinfection required by state We are pleased to work new rising water main from September 29 and federal regulations. collaboratively with DEP to Riverview Park; the Aspinwall Pump Station place us on a firm path toward to the Lanpher Reservoir in Ensuring the quality, reliability, 1:00 - 5:00 pm and safety of our water is renewing our infrastructure by Shaler Township, rehabilitating prioritizing our critical projects. or replacing the Aspinwall our number one priority. The Brightwood Civic projects included in this latest As a publicly-owned municipal Association and Breucken pump stations, authority, we are committed and the construction of an agreement with DEP are only October 1 a few of the programs we’re to providing drinking water 2611 Stayton Street; emergency bypass for the that meets or exceeds all state existing Clearwell at our main undertaking to improve our 6:00 pm drinking water. Since 2016, we and federal standards now, water treatment plant. and for our future generation have replaced nearly 5,000 Thomas and McPherson of Pittsburghers. With support The projects mentioned above lead water service lines and Stormwater Project will help prepare for the larger from our ratepayers, these in April 2019 we improved October 2 priority project – replacing the investments will create a water our water treatment by using Construction Junction; 109-year-old Clearwell. The system that we all can be orthophosphate to reduce 6:30 pm Clearwell is a critical element corrosion from lead pipes. We proud of. of our water distribution system are also planning to replace 15 Bloomfield-Garfield because it stores up to 44 to 20 miles of water mains per Corporation million gallons of treated water, year beginning in 2020. and provides drinking water October 15 Bloomfield-Garfield Activity Center; 6:00 pm RAW TALK RAW TALK By Executive Director Robert A. Weimar A Water Utility Built for Today, and Tomorrow I traveled to Chicago this month to receive PWSA’s Utility of 2017, we have shared our plans for utility renewal, as well the Future Today for 2019 on behalf of the organization. The as spent time to understand your needs and expectations. award was given to PWSA for our commitment to building In 2018, we attended over 60 community meetings, partnerships in the community, promoting watershed participated in regional forums and TV news programs management, and making innovation a driving force for our to reach every corner of our service area. We shared our team. roadmap to success and established PWSA as a fully Our laborers, engineers, customer service representatives, accountable utility. In 2019, we’ve already presented and public affairs staff—the entire PWSA team--are information at over 60 neighborhood meetings, continued committed to deliver the essence of what this award stands to participate in TV news shows, with many more events for. First, and foremost, we recognize that we service our slated before the end of the year. With active social media customers primary life needs. We deliver clean drinking channels, as well as a new, user-friendly website coming water to satisfy ratepayers’ water, sanitation, fire protection, at the end of 2019, we are eager to share our vision for the and other commercial uses. We collect and convey sewage Authority with our customers every step of the way. to ALCOSAN, our regional wastewater treatment provider. It was on this basis that I was extremely proud to accept the We also build infrastructure that protects our regional Utility of the Future Today recognition on behalf our team, waterways from pollution, as well as reducing flooding and but I recognize that we have much more work ahead of us. basement backups in our neighborhoods. As always, myself and the entire PWSA team welcome your But to our core, we serve the needs of our Ratepayers. comments—and suggestions—to make sure that everyone PWSA is committed to “Getting Stuff Done” to modernize understands our plans so that we “get it right” for you. and make our utility resilient. We are investing more than ________________________________________ $1 billion of our ratepayer’s dollars over the next five years. The Utility of the Future Award began in 2016 and is made These reinvestments renew our utility’s life expectancy by possible through a partnership between the Water Environment as much as 50 to 100 years. These investments make sense Federation (WEF), the National Association of Clean Water today and will serve Pittsburgh for generations to come. Agencies (NACWA), The Water Research Foundation (WRF) and the Water Reuse Association with input from the Environmental With all this important work ahead of us, we knew clear Protection Agency. All of these organizations promote research communications with our customers was crucial to obtain and innovation in the field of water and sewer management your thoughts, feedback and recommendations. Since nationwide. “We are fostering a culture of responsibility and innovation that is crucial to becoming the utility Pittsburgh expects and deserves. We are investing our ratepayer dollars towards programs that make sense today and for decades to come.” CURRENTS | September 2019 2 PWSA IN THE COMMUNITY Getting Stuff Done (GSD): Going above and beyond to help customers GSD Committed Customer Service Stellar Stormwater Solutions One of our customers was kind enough to send a message This summer, customers on Camelia Street in Stanton of praise for Customer Service Representative Maria Heights needed a solution to increasingly severe Michalek for providing a great customer service experience basement flooding caused by heavy rains. Stormwater in solving an issue with her account. “Thank you Maria for issues can be very complex and require coordination the wonderful and outstanding help you provided,” said between our stormwater team and other government the customer. We can’t thank Maria and the rest of our agencies. Fortunately, we have determined folks like Customer Service Team enough for their commitment to Scientist II Maria Natoli to help address the challenges making sure that any issue brought to their attention is that stormwater poses to our city. Following a solved in a timely and professional manner. Keep it up! successful solution of redirecting stormwater flow, through coordination between our stormwater team and the City of Pittsburgh’s Department of Mobility and Infrastructure, a customer from this area wrote, “it is so wonderful to realize that there are good people that care and are willing to go a bit above for the sake of others.” Thanks for your hard work, Maria! Lead Line Replacement Love A customer on Gladstone Street in Squirrel Hill gave us a call to thank Senior Manager of Field Operations Joseph Tewell, Acting Foreman Curt O’Connor, Utilityman Tim Latwin, Laborer Wayne Blumling, Truck Driver Rich Mason, Heavy Equipment Operator Brian Auberle , and Lead Program Customer Assistant Donna Martrano for their work in replacing his water service line. We’re very lucky to have such a determined Operations Team and Lead Help Desk as we continue toward to a lead-free Pittsburgh. CURRENTS | September 2019 3 PWSA IN THE COMMUNITY Summer Events with PGH2O! PWSA IN THE Our staff had the opportunity to engage with COMMUNITY residents all over the city to share information about Over the past two months, we engaged with the community at the our programs at fun-filled events this summer. following meetings and events: ALCOSAN Open House - September 21 Lawrenceville United Housing Event, It was a perfectly sunny day for the 17th July 27 Annual ALCOSAN Open House, where we spoke to more than 500 attendees about South Side Park Goat Fest, July 27 the importance of managing stormwater RESTORE Oakland, August 6 throughout Pittsburgh. Residents understand the problems we are having with increasing Mt. Washington CDC, August 15 amounts of rain and are asking more questions about how they can protect their Bloomfield-Garfield Housing Event, August 17 homes. We provided tips about reducing water Rep. Ed Gainey 6th Annual Back Elaine Hinrichs, Education and Outreach Associate, To School Book Bag Giveaway & use during a rainstorm and provided demonstrates stormwater at the Open House Community Event, August 17 the Homeowner’s Guide to Stormwater, produced by Penn’s Corner Conservancy and Charitable Trust, Inc. Others interacted South Side Park Stormwater Project, with our hands-on stormwater demonstration, read through our sewage and August 21 stormwater timeline, and enjoyed our native plant kit giveaway. Hill CDC Quarterly Meeting, .5K What’s the Point Run in North August 22 Point Breeze - September 22 Northside Farmers Market, August 23 This unique event was a great way to build awareness Amber Sloan’s 5th Annual #Made IT about Westinghouse Park and Community Day & Back To School August 25 stormwater challenges around the Giveaway, neighborhood.