On July 26, the University Of Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory and Women For A Healthy Environment released a report on drinking water systems in Allegheny County that found the need for significant improvement in one or more metrics in each system surveyed-- Transparency, Affordability, Water Quality,

The information and data in the report were distilled into report cards for 17 of the 36 individual community water systems in Allegheny County that responded to the survey used to generate the report.

These ratings are based on 2022 information solicited directly from water systems who serve Allegheny County, as well as prior data collected in 2020 as part of Women for a Healthy Environment's "Somethings in the Water Report.”

The report said, "Although the report found significant variations within the eight metrics examined across Allegheny County, each system displayed a need for improvement in one or more areas.

“Almost all local systems can increase the transparency of their operations and governance, while creating mechanisms for community input in decision-making. Water systems also need the financial and technical resources to create, implement, and sustain effective affordability programs.

“Lastly, the report highlights the need to not only allocate significant infrastructure resources at the state and federal level, but to ensure that access is equitable for all."

“The results of this report show the critical need to transform public water systems through investment and collaboration with community members. This is true not only for infrastructure maintenance such as removing lead pipes, which is essential, but also for other aspects of the sector that are equally important, such as transparent and public water governance,” said Dr. Marcela Gonzalez Rivas.

“In light of rapidly increasing water costs across Allegheny County, our team wanted to create a way for residents, as well as water providers, to understand practices that can be used to ensure that residents have access to clean, affordable drinking water. The deep, collaborative nature of this academic-community partnership was key to analyzing a complex issue and creating meaningful tools to help communities and drive systemic change,” said Dr. Emily Elliott

“This collaboration was a natural extension of WHE's Something's in the Water report. The report cards that have been developed for each water system can now be utilized by both ratepayers and the systems' staff and board to improve affordability, transparency, and water quality. We encourage a regional conversation between Allegheny County water systems, ratepayers, and public health entities in order to develop sustainable solutions that will increase capacity and transparency of water systems and protect the health of community drinking water,” said Michelle Naccarati-Chapkis

The research team for this report was composed of an interdisciplinary group of academics from sociology, policy, public health and environmental science, in partnership with the nonprofit Women for a Healthy Environment.

The metrics developed for grading systems were based on global best practices and focused on the transparency of water system governance, the inclusion of community ratepayers, the presence of affordability programs and permanent shut-off moratoriums, adherence to drinking water standards, and the efficacy of lead service line replacement plans.

Additionally, data collection from this effort allowed for comparison of water system and community characteristics, such as the ratio of employees to ratepayers and the percentage of each service area that falls within environmental justice geographies.

Click Here for a storymap on the report.  Click Here for a copy of the report.

August 2 Webinar

The groups will host an August 2 webinar on the report from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Click Here to register and for more information.

For more information on programs, initiatives and upcoming events, visit the University Of Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory and Women For A Healthy Environment websites.

[Posted: July 31, 2023]

8/7/2023