Latest Testing Results

• Lead Levels — Record Low: Pittsburgh Water certified a lead level of just 2 ppb in 2025, a record all-time low for the system and far below the federal action level of 15 ppb. This continues a sustained downward trend from 22 ppb at the height of the 2016 crisis to 5.1 ppb in 2020, 3.58 ppb in early 2024, and now 2 ppb — an extraordinary improvement driven by orthophosphate treatment and aggressive lead service line replacement. As PWSA CEO Will Pickering noted, this is an excellent signal that treatment for homes still connected by lead lines is highly effective.
• Testing Scope: PWSA tests for approximately 100 different compounds and microbial constituents daily at the treatment plant and throughout the distribution system, conducting around 3,000 routine tests per month. Proactive monitoring extends to both regulated and unregulated contaminants, including PFAS, acid mine drainage indicators, and emerging industrial chemicals.
• Compliance Status: Pittsburgh water meets all federal and state drinking water standards. The 2023 Water Quality Report (the most recently published CCR) confirms full regulatory compliance. Check our national water quality checker to compare Pittsburgh against other Pennsylvania cities, or browse the latest developments on our water alert news feed.
• PFAS Status: Pittsburgh Water has never exceeded EPA maximum contaminant levels for regulated PFAS and is fully in compliance with both federal and Pennsylvania DEP regulatory limits. PA DEP sets its own limits of 14 ppt for PFOA and 18 ppt for PFOS — more protective than the original proposed federal figures — and Pittsburgh’s water tests well below both thresholds. In May 2025, the EPA announced its intent to extend PFOA and PFOS compliance deadlines and rescind the MCLs for PFHxS, PFNA, HFPO-DA (GenX), and the Hazard Index mixture; Pittsburgh Water’s page on PFAS is kept updated with all regulatory changes.

Allegheny River Water Supply

• Primary Source: The Allegheny River serves as Pittsburgh’s main water source, treated at the Aspinwall Water Treatment Plant at 900 Freeport Road, which has a capacity of up to 100 million gallons per day. The river provides generally consistent water quality year-round, though it is monitored closely for contamination from road de-icing salts, railroad spills, and industrial activities upstream.
• Acid Mine Drainage (AMD): Pittsburgh’s industrial coal-mining legacy continues to affect regional tributaries. Old coal mines leach acidic, metal-laden water — adding iron, aluminium, and manganese to waterways — a process known as Acid Mine Drainage. PWSA’s treatment process removes these metals, though this legacy pollution requires ongoing treatment effort not always visible in final tap water quality reports.
• Source Water Protection: The Allegheny River watershed is monitored for contamination from industrial and agricultural sources. PWSA works with regional partners on source water protection, stormwater management, and combined sewer overflow reduction to protect raw water quality before it reaches the treatment plant.

Treatment Modernisation

• Highland Park Microfiltration Plant: Renovated with advanced membrane filtration and UV disinfection technology, providing a second layer of protection and greater treatment flexibility, particularly for microbial contaminants and turbidity events.
• Enhanced Coagulation: Upgraded chemical treatment using ferric chloride, potassium permanganate, and polymer improves removal of organic compounds — the precursors to disinfection byproducts — and suspended particles from the Allegheny River source water.
• Activated Carbon Filtration (Planned): PWSA has confirmed plans to introduce activated carbon filtration in consultation with PA DEP, specifically targeting the reduction of disinfection byproducts including bromodichloromethane and chloroform, which currently exceed EWG health guidelines though they remain within legal limits.
• Orthophosphate Corrosion Control: The food-grade orthophosphate added since April 2019 forms a protective mineral barrier inside lead service lines, preventing lead from leaching into distributed water. This is the primary reason lead levels have fallen to record lows even while some lead service lines remain in the network.

Lead Service Line Replacement Programme

• Replacement Progress: Since launching the Community Lead Response in 2016, PWSA has replaced over 13,000 public lead service lines and more than 7,500 private lines at no direct cost to property owners. The programme now covers both public and private portions of each connection, removing the entire lead pathway from main to meter.
• Lead Service Line Inventory: Approximately 25,000 confirmed or suspected lead service lines were identified at programme start. PWSA’s neighbourhood-by-neighbourhood, block-by-block replacement approach has made substantial progress and the goal of full system removal is within reach.
• Target Completion: The programme aims to eliminate all remaining lead service lines, with replacement supported by low-interest loans and grants. Residents can check their service line status and apply for free replacement at pgh2o.com/lead. Use PWSA’s interactive lead map to see replacement progress in your neighbourhood.

Water Reliability Plan and Infrastructure Investment

PWSA’s $500 million Water Reliability Plan is a once-in-a-generation investment in Pittsburgh’s century-old infrastructure. In 2023 alone, the authority replaced more than five miles of water main and lined more than 13 miles of sewer pipe. Recent completed projects include a new cover and liner at the Highland Reservoir and restoration of two large-diameter water mains near Highland Park. These investments are designed to reduce service interruptions — including water main breaks that can trigger boil water advisories — and support the long-term reliability of the distribution system. Stay up to date with any active advisories via our live US boil water notices tracker. For a broader regional picture, compare nearby cities: Philadelphia | Newark | Rochester.