Pittsburgh Colony Leads the Way for Cities Exposed to Lead-Contaminated Drinking Water

PITTSBURGH, PA — A coalition of local organizations advocating for safe and affordable water has won a major legal settlement that controls how Pittsburgh’s largest water utility will spend nearly $50 million to combat rising levels. high levels of lead in its drinking water and limits the financial impact of water rate increases on economically vulnerable customers.

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today approved an agreement requiring the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) to safely remove lead water pipes, improve residents’ access to water filters in the faucet and increase the transparency of its lead remediation efforts. The settlement also promotes affordable water rates, capping the rate increase at $21 million (down from the $26 million requested by the PWSA) and providing increased rate assistance to economically vulnerable households. Pittsburgh United, a coalition of faith-based, labor and environmental groups, represented by attorneys from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project (PULP), intervened in the PUC case to argue for safe and affordable water.

“The people of Pittsburgh have been drinking lead-contaminated water for far too long. This regulation requires aggressive and affordable solutions to protect public health and hold public officials accountable to the people they serve. That’s what Pittsburgh and all American communities deserve. These hard-fought changes would not have been possible without the leadership of Pittsburgh United’s Our Water campaign and the residents who stood with them,” said Dimple Chaudhary, NRDC Senior Counsel. Chaudhary was lead counsel in the lawsuit that resulted in the removal of lead water pipes in Flint, Michigan.

“Drinking water is a right, not a luxury. We believe that every family in Pittsburgh deserves to drink clean water from their taps without high water bills breaking the bank. Recent lead level tests confirm that Pittsburgh has a chronic lead problem; families are still at significant risk and more immediate remedies are needed. This settlement puts Pittsburgh on the path to safe and affordable water for all,” said Jennifer Rafanan Kennedy, executive director of Pittsburgh United.

“The amount of your salary should not determine whether your family can drink clean water. While great challenges remain, this settlement is a critical step toward protecting economically vulnerable residents in Pittsburgh and puts community voices at the forefront in crafting innovative affordability solutions,” said Elizabeth Marx, attorney in charge of the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project.

Pittsburgh has had lead contamination issues since at least 2016 and, according to an NRDC analysis of recent EPA data, it’s the second-largest water system in the nation to exceed the action level of the EPA for lead. There is no safe level of lead in drinking water, and the burdens of lead exposure are heaviest for lower-income neighborhoods and communities of color, which are more likely to live in older homes with aging infrastructure. Recent tests show that lead levels in communities served by the PWSA still exceed the federal action level, indicating that the PWSA needs to take more aggressive action to address chronically high lead levels in water. drinkable.

PWSA estimates that it has up to 10,000 lead service lines on the public side, and it has not yet estimated its total number of lead service lines on the private side. The settlement approved today covers the replacement of lead pipes in 2019; during this period, PWSA will spend $50 million to address high lead levels, including replacing at least 3,400 public-side lead service lines and 2,800 private-side lead service lines.

The main settlement terms include:

  • A commitment by the PWSA to replace thousands of all-lead service lines – the portions running under public and private properties – at no cost to residents, in 2019;
  • A requirement that PWSA use public health factors, including blood lead levels in children, to prioritize where lead service lines are replaced in 2019;
  • A requirement that PWSA provide free replacement water filters and cartridges to all low-income customers who have lead service lines or an unknown material service line;
  • Establishment of a Community Leaders Response Advisory Committee to advise PWSA leaders on remediation efforts;
  • Additional limitations on when PWSA performs partial lead service line replacements, which can lead to harmful spikes in lead levels;
  • A cap on rate increases of $21 million, down from the $26 million requested by the PWSA;
  • Enhanced protections for medically vulnerable consumers, victims of domestic violence and tenants against termination of service;
  • An increase in the discount that low-income customers benefit from on their bill (50% to 75% of the base price);
  • Establishment of a Community Water Affordability Committee to advise the PWSA on water affordability programs, education and awareness activities; and
  • A commitment that PWSA will suspend its contract with a third-party collection agent, which has created a debt trap for PWSA customers who have fallen behind on their water bills.

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international non-profit environmental organization with over 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world’s natural resources, public health and the environment. The NRDC has offices in New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.

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