Pittsburgh Water last week announced it achieved a historic milestone in water quality, certifying a lead level of 2.0 parts per billion (ppb) in its latest round of water testing. Pittsburgh Water said it’s the lowest amount of lead ever recorded by the system.
This latest result, certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, comes from the most recent round of compliance testing conducted in accordance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Lead and Copper Rule Revisions. This result is significantly below the 15 ppb federal action level set by the EPA, underscoring the success of Pittsburgh Water’s highly-effective water treatment process, including the 2019 addition of the food-grade additive orthophosphate.
Orthophosphate is a safe and effective corrosion control method used by many other water systems that forms a protective barrier that minimizes the potential for lead to enter tap water, even in homes that still have lead service lines. The testing for Pittsburgh’s new record-low result included samples from homes confirmed to have lead service lines, providing a clear picture of the system’s performance, even in high-risk areas.
“Achieving a result of 2.0 ppb is not only a testament to the success of our nationally recognized Community Lead Response, but also a reflection of the commitment and devotion our team has shown to delivering safe, clean drinking water to every customer we serve,” said Pittsburgh Water CEO Will Pickering.
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Pittsburgh Water has dramatically improved drinking water quality and safety in recent years. In addition to improving its water treatment practices, Pittsburgh Water has been aggressively focused on replacing lead service lines throughout their service area.
Since launching its Community Lead Response in 2016, the utility has replaced more than 13,500 public-side lead service lines and more than 10,000 private ones at no direct cost to ratepayers. The system remains on pace to replace every residential lead line in its service area by the end of 2027, years ahead of many comparable American cities facing similar issues.
Pittsburgh Water’s lead service line replacement program has served as a national model, with dozens of organizations and water utilities from across the country consulting with them to plan their own lead removal initiatives.
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“We’ve made tremendous progress, but our work isn’t done,” Pickering said. “We remain focused on replacing the remaining lead lines and ensuring every Pittsburgh resident has access to safe, high-quality water.”
Pittsburgh Water encourages customers to learn more about lead in drinking water, request free lead test kits, and explore resources available at pgh2o.com/lead.
Source: Pittsburgh Water
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