In the News | Get the Lead Out, Pittsburgh

January 8, 2021

Letter to the editor: We must protect children from toxic lead

Tribune-Review – We still have work to do to eliminate the threat of toxic lead in the lives of young children. The covid-19 virus has taken precedence over our health concerns, rightly so, but lead paint dust and lead in our drinking water still loom in the environment of our children and grandchildren. It exists...

January 5, 2021

PWSA donates $250K to nonprofit as part of lead violation settlement

Tribune-Review – Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority is following through on a settlement it reached in July to resolve violations of Pennsylvania’s Safe Drinking Water Act. As part of the settlement, PWSA agreed to donate $250,000 to Women for a Healthy Environment, a nonprofit that will use the money to offer free and reduced cost testing to city...

October 27, 2020

Pittsburgh City Council Commits to Introduction of Legislation to Prevent Lead Poisoning

Pittsburgh, PA (October 27, 2020) – In recognition of National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week, Pittsburgh City Council is announcing their commitment to a lead-safe Pittsburgh by collaborating on legislation that would prevent lead poisoning and by raising awareness of the issues surrounding exposure to lead hazards in the community.

Graph of children tested for lead in Allegheny county

September 22, 2020

Pittsburgh, Allegheny County officials talk about household lead issues with experts

Tribune-Review – Children exposed to lead have lower IQs and are more likely to develop attention deficit disorders, and adults who are exposed are at greater risk for heart disease. That’s what a leading researcher of the problem told Pittsburgh City Council members Tuesday. While the effects of exposure to lead have been known for more than...

Workers pull out old lead pipe in Pittsburgh

September 21, 2020

Pittsburgh officials to hear from outside experts about how to tackle lead issues

Tribune-Review – Children who live in Pittsburgh remain more likely to have higher lead levels than those who live in other areas of the country, according to the Allegheny County Health Department. City officials are working to change that trend. For several years, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority has worked to replace lead service lines and is working...

Woman uses sensor to detect lead on banister

August 2, 2020

Lead progress but more work to do

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – It’s great news that the levels of lead in Pittsburgh’s drinking water have declined to the lowest point in 20 years, as reported in the July 23 article “PWSA: Lead Levels Greatly Reduced in City’s Water.” However, we should not rest on our laurels that our lead problems are over. Here in...

July 16, 2020

PGH Water and Sewer Authority Ordered To Pay $500k, Hire Independent Corporate Monitor

PennWatch – The Attorney General’s Office has entered into an agreement with the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) as part of its investigation into the company’s negligence that exposed residents to high levels of lead when the water authority was forced to replace old lead water pipes throughout Pittsburgh neighborhoods. By failing to inform...

July 16, 2020

PWSA settles with PA Attorney General over criminal charges

WESA – The settlement resolves criminal charges from February 2019, when Attorney General Josh Shapiro charged PWSA with more than 150 criminal counts for failing to provide customers with enough notice about lead line replacements and not providing post-construction test kits to all customers. As part of the settlement, PWSA has agreed to a two-year probationary period and...

July 16, 2020

Shapiro: PWSA to donate $500K, hire independent monitor for lead project failures

Tribune-Review – Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority will hire an independent monitor and make $500,000 in donations to organizations that promote safety for those exposed to lead in old water pipes as part of an agreement, Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced Thursday. PWSA unnecessarily exposed people to increased lead levels in their drinking water...

July 16, 2020

PWSA, state Attorney General’s Office reach settlement in lead contamination case

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – The state Attorney General’s Office said Thursday that it has reached a settlement with the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority over the agency’s handling of lead pipe replacements after high levels of the metal were found citywide in the aging system. Under the settlement, the PWSA must pay $500,000 to various organizations...

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