Public water system record
Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth
Serves Pittsburgh and Millvale, Allegheny County, PA · 520,000 people served
Federal records show 2 health-based violations and 41 monitoring/reporting issues for Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth in the last ten years. The most serious issue in this window was a resolved Lead and Copper Rule violation.
System profile
- Health-based violations, last 10 years
- 2
- Resolved
- 2
- Unresolved
- 0
- Any acute record
- No
- Monitoring issues, last 10 years
- 41
Key facts
- Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth draws water from 1 surface water intake.
- Most recent formal enforcement: administrative penalty by Pennsylvania, November 2017.
- Record on file since 1992, with 1 health-based violation before October 19, 2016.
- Lead pipe inventory: 20,961 lead and 13,234 unknown out of 80,842 service lines.
Check whether Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth serves your address
Health-based violations
Since October 2016Violation data reflects EPA records through March 2026. For the most current status, visit the EPA ECHO database.
| Contaminant | Rule family | Start date | Status | Acute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead and Copper Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
350 | Jul 1, 2018 | Resolved | No |
|
Lead and Copper Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
350 | Jul 1, 2017 | Resolved | No |
Monitoring and reporting issues
Since October 2016Missed tests or reports, not contaminants found above a limit.
| Issue | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs)
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jul 1, 2025 | Resolved |
|
Haloacetic Acids (HAA5)
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jul 1, 2025 | Resolved |
|
Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2025 | Resolved |
|
Chlordane
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
ETHYLENE DIBROMIDE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
1,2-DIBROMO-3-CHLOROPROPANE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Total Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB)
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Pentachlorophenol
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Benzo(a)pyrene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
HEXACHLOROBENZENE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
2,4,5-TP
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
2,4-D
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Heptachlor epoxide
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Heptachlor
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
2,3,7,8-TCDD
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
LASSO
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Atrazine
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Carbofuran
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Hexachlorocyclopentadiene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Dinoseb
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Picloram
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Simazine
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
OXAMYL
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Glyphosate
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Endothall
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Diquat
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Toxaphene
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Methoxychlor
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
BHC-GAMMA
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
Endrin
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2023 | Resolved |
|
CARBON, TOTAL
Monitoring and reporting
|
Apr 1, 2022 | Resolved |
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2022 | Resolved |
|
Consumer Confidence Rule
OTHER
|
Jul 1, 2021 | Resolved |
|
CARBON, TOTAL
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2018 | Resolved |
|
CARBON, TOTAL
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jul 1, 2017 | Resolved |
|
2,3,7,8-TCDD
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2017 | Resolved |
|
CARBON, TOTAL
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2017 | Resolved |
|
CARBON, TOTAL
Monitoring and reporting
|
Oct 1, 2016 | Resolved |
|
Fluoride
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2016 | Resolved |
|
Fluoride
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2016 | Resolved |
|
CYANIDE
Monitoring and reporting
|
Jan 1, 2016 | Resolved |
Full record since 1992
EPA's records for Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth go back to 1992. Before October 19, 2016 they list 1 health-based violation (1 resolved) and 40 monitoring or reporting violations.
| Violations that began in | Health-based | Monitoring and reporting |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1 | 4 |
| 2000s | 0 | 9 |
| 2010 to October 18, 2016 | 0 | 27 |
| October 19, 2016 to 2019 | 2 | 4 |
| 2020s | 0 | 33 |
Most recent health-based violation before October 19, 2016: Surface Water Treatment Rule, began June 1994, Resolved.
Show the health-based violation before October 19, 2016
| Contaminant | Start date | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Surface Water Treatment Rule
Treatment technique failure
|
Jun 1, 1994 | Resolved |
Enforcement actions
Pennsylvania regulators took 3 formal enforcement actions against Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth between 2004 and 2017. The most recent was an administrative penalty in November 2017.
| Date | By | Action | Violations covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 17, 2017 | Pennsylvania | Administrative penalty | 1 violation (1 health-based): Lead and Copper Rule |
| Nov 15, 2005 | Pennsylvania | Consent decree or court judgment | 3 violations: Haloacetic Acids (HAA5), Total Trihalomethanes (TTHMs), CARBON, TOTAL |
| Feb 20, 2004 | Pennsylvania | Consent decree or court judgment | 4 violations: Chlorine, Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule, Surface Water Treatment Rule, Total Coliform |
What the violations mean
Lead and Copper Rule
2 incidentsThe system did not complete a treatment step or action that the Lead and Copper Rule requires (a treatment technique violation).
The utility had to notify customers about each of these violations.
Where the water comes from
Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth draws water from 1 surface water intake. It also buys water from PA Amer Water Co-Pittsburgh. 4 other community water systems and 13 smaller public systems such as schools, businesses or campgrounds buy water from Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth. 3 other public water systems have emergency connections to Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth.
Buys water from
- PA Amer Water Co-Pittsburgh McMurray, PA
Community systems that buy water from it
- Aspinwall Boro Water Dept Pittsburgh, PA
- Carson Towers Pittsburgh, PA
- Fox Chapel Auth Pittsburgh, PA
- Reserve Twp Water Dept Pittsburgh, PA
Annual water quality report
Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth must give its customers an annual water quality report (Consumer Confidence Report) by July 1, with the levels its tests found in the previous year.
Systems serving 10,000 or more people must mail or deliver the report to every customer, and from 2027 they must send it twice a year.
Find a posted report with EPA's Consumer Confidence Report search
Testing your own water
To test the water at your tap, or a private well this record does not cover, use a laboratory certified for drinking water by Pennsylvania.
Certified drinking water labs by state EPA guidance for private wells