Vice President Kamala Harris' visit to Pittsburgh to highlight need to replace lead water lines
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — With Friday's visit by Vice President Kamala Harris set to focus on replacing lead water lines, KDKA-TV wanted to learn more about what is being done in our area to make sure you have the safest water possible.
With older infrastructure, there are still several lines connected to homes that have lead piping. On North St. Clair Street in the city's Highland Park neighborhood, crews battled the hot sun to replace old lead lines with new water lines.
This project is just one of several the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority is working on across the city. In 2021, it replaced 620 public lead lines. Since 2016, it has replaced 9,150 public lines and 6,000 private lines.
"It's a relief after what we saw happen in Michigan, we don't want that here in Pittsburgh as well," Lawson Priestly said.
Priestly is one of the homeowners who will have a new line connected to their house. The house has been in his family for decades, and he never knew the water was going through a lead pipe.
According to the PWSA, funding from the EPA will allow it to replace more than 850 private and 450 public lines next year. Its CEO said it is proactively working to get lead lines replaced in a timely manner.
Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald said this renewed effort by the White House is welcomed.
"It's really been the group working together. Our legislative body, our congressional delegation, along with the White House, to come and make these investments that we need to have done in our region," Fitzgerald said.
Pennsylvania American Water, which covers many South Hills communities, said its lines don't have lead issues, but it is working with homeowners to address private lead lines. Many older homes may have this problem.
"It can be a serious health issue. Obviously, you want the community to thrive, and having this is not a good thing to have. I'm glad they caught it and are fixing it now," Priestly said.
Here's more information on the PWSA lead replacement plan and Penn American's plan.
