Pittsburgh Gives Update On Massive Safe Water Project

PITTSBURGH, PA — Pittsburgh Water is entering the final phase of one of the largest infrastructure efforts in its history, with approximately 88 percent of its residential lead service line program now complete.

Officials hope to finish the massive project by the end of next year. As of October 1, Pittsburgh Water has replaced 16,264 public lead service lines and 12,533 private lead service lines across its service area.

“This program represents years of sustained investment and coordination, and reaching this stage is a major milestone for the City," Mayor Corey O'Connor said in a statement. "Finishing this work will leave Pittsburgh families with stronger infrastructure and a healthier foundation for the future.”

The work is part of a decade-long effort to remove lead from Pittsburgh’s residential water infrastructure. Pittsburgh Water serves approximately 71,000 residential service connections, and crews have worked neighborhood by neighborhood to identify and replace lead lines on both public and private property.

“Nearly 29,000 public and private lead service lines have already been replaced, and we’re committed to carrying that momentum through this final stretch," said Pittsburgh Water CEO Will Pickering. "Every replacement means another Pittsburgh household with safer, more modern water infrastructure, and we’re excited to keep doing this work for the communities we serve.”

Approximately 8,300 properties remain to be checked for lead, a number that includes work already underway as well as properties scheduled for future phases of the program.

Pittsburgh Water currently expects to replace approximately 2,500 to 4,000 additional public lead service lines in 2027, along with a similar number of privately owned lead lines.

The scale of the program goes well beyond the number of pipes replaced. Pittsburgh Water estimates by the time the effort is complete, its total investment in lead service line removal will approach $400 million.