Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority

A portion of American Rescue Act dollars sent to Pittsburgh will be used to replace lead lines.

The lead levels in Pittsburgh’s water fell below the state and federal action level, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority announced last week. This is the third consecutive round of testing in which the city’s lead levels were in compliance

On today’s episode of The Confluence: Virologist Paul Duprex explains what we know so far about COVID-19 reinfections; PWSA CEO Will Pickering discusses the agency’s new stormwater fee and uses for the revenue; and a look at how municipalities are using American Rescue Plan funds.

The city’s land bank and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority have reached an agreement to clear debt on distressed properties.

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority has been sentenced in federal court for violating the Clean Water Act. According to federal prosecutors, PWSA dumped a type of waste known as clarifier sludge into the Allegheny River multiple times between 2010 and 2017. It also gave ALCOSAN inaccurate numbers about the amount of sludge it was sending to ALCOSAN’s waste treatment facility.

On today’s program: With utility moratoriums ending, Oliver Morrison of PublicSource details how local water authorities are trying to help low-income customers sign up for assistance programs; roboticist William “Red” Whittaker and archivist Katherine Barbera explain how Carnegie Mellon University’s “Robotics Project” is archiving the history of robot development; and a look at how arts venues are implementing safety protocols as they reopen after a year without performances.

Pennsylvania officials announced Monday the state will invest $97 million in water infrastructure projects across the state, including in Allegheny and Westmoreland Counties.

On today’s program: Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority CEO Will Pickering says federal funding from the American Rescue Plan could speed up their process of replacing lead services lines; and how the Battle of Homestead and Homestead Strike of 1892 shaped labor history in the U.S.

PWSA says thanks to a new water treatment, lead testing levels are the lowest they’ve been in 20 years. The agency also will continue to reimburse some residents if they choose to hire their own plumber to do the work.

The changes mostly increase the responsibility of large developers.