Pittsburgh Water Secures $31.5 Million in PENNVEST Funding to Replace Lead Service Lines in Four Neighborhoods

"Pittsburgh Water’s Lead Service Line Replacement program is a critically important investment in our neighborhoods, and we are thankful for PENNVEST's record-setting funding," said Mayor Corey O'Connor. "Not only has Pittsburgh Water already replaced nearly 25,000 public and private lead lines in 68 of the 73 neighborhoods where they provide drinking water, but the program has also supported hundreds of local union jobs and delivered equitable access to drinking water for all families.” 

The new funding will enable Pittsburgh Water to replace approximately 1,610 lead service lines – 770 public and 840 private – in the neighborhoods of Bloomfield, Shadyside, Highland Park, and Central Lawrenceville. These projects are part of the utility’s comprehensive effort to remove all lead service lines in its service area by 2027, protecting public health and improving drinking water quality. 

“Replacing lead service lines is one of the most important investments we can make to improve public health and drinking water quality,” Pittsburgh Water CEO Will Pickering said. “This funding ensures that residents in Bloomfield, Shadyside, Highland Park, and Central Lawrenceville will have continued access to clean, safe drinking water, and it moves us closer to our goal of fully removing lead from our system.” 

The project will support local jobs and economic activity as contractors work in the neighborhoods, contributing to both immediate employment and long-term community benefits. Residents can expect temporary service interruptions during construction, and Pittsburgh Water will provide advance notice to affected households. As part of this work, Pittsburgh Water will restore impacted sidewalks and repave roadways following construction, ensuring neighborhoods are returned to safe and usable conditions. 

Since 2016, Pittsburgh Water has removed more than 14,000 public lead service lines and 10,600 private ones at no direct cost to ratepayers. The utility remains on track to remove all residential lead service lines by late 2027 and is entering the final locations where service line verification and removal of lead pipes is needed. The utility’s Community Lead Response follows an equity-based approach prioritizing neighborhoods with a concentration of young children and women of childbearing age, County health data, income, and density of lead lines in a neighborhood. This model, developed in consultation with the Community Lead Response Advisory Committee, ensured that the most at-risk neighborhoods are prioritized first. 

Pittsburgh Water was also awarded two Pennsylvania Small Water & Sewer grants, totaling $850,000 for projects in Allegheny County. A $425,000 grant will support Pittsburgh Water’s Residential Meter Project, helping offset the cost of replacing customer water meters as part of the utility’s required meter replacement cycle and reducing costs for ratepayers. An additional $425,000 grant will fund leak reduction efforts through the purchase of advanced leak detection sensors. These investments will help reduce water loss, improve system efficiency, and advance Pittsburgh Water’s goal of minimizing treated water waste. 

This funding marks another step forward in Pittsburgh Water’s multi-year strategy to modernize its water infrastructure while keeping customer costs low. By leveraging funding, Pittsburgh Water is able to maximize grant support and reduce the burden on ratepayers, while maintaining progress toward systemwide improvements. 

For more information on Pittsburgh Water’s lead service line replacement program, visit pgh2o.com/lead. 

Media Contact: 

Julianne Pelusi

Manager, Government & Media Relations 

Pittsburgh Water 

(412) 925-5380 

jpelusi@pgh2o.com