Editing Pittsburgh (section)

====Water quality====
Local rivers in Pittsburgh continue to exceed EPA pollution limits, primarily due to [[Allegheny County Sanitary Authority#Pittsburgh's sewer overflow problem|frequently overflowing untreated sewage]] from the city's outdated infrastructure.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.alleghenyfront.org/new-report-finds-industrial-pollution-flowing-illegally-into-pa-rivers/ |title=New Report Finds Industrial Pollution Flowing Illegally into PA Rivers |last=Lancianese |first=Adelina |date=March 28, 2018 |website=[[WESA (FM)]] |access-date=May 19, 2019}}</ref> Pittsburgh's combined sewer system, built in the early 1900s, carries both stormwater and wastewater, with the treatment plant constructed in 1959.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.3riverswetweather.org/about-wet-weather-issue/understanding-sewer-collection-system/history |title=Understanding Sewer Collection System |website=3 Rivers Wet Weather |access-date=May 19, 2019}}</ref> Insufficient upgrades have led to public health concerns, as even a tenth of an inch of rain causes runoff to flow into rivers.<ref>{{cite web |last=Smeltz |first=Adam |url=https://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2018/01/22/Pittsburgh-Mayor-Bill-Peduto-executive-order-pushes-forward-PWSA-restructuring-water-board/stories/201801220112 |title=Peduto forges ahead to restructure PWSA leadership |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |date=January 22, 2017 |access-date=April 24, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=About the Wet Weather Issue |access-date=April 16, 2018 |url=http://www.3riverswetweather.org/about-wet-weather-issue |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202212622/http://www.3riverswetweather.org/about-wet-weather-issue |archive-date=February 2, 2019 |website=3riverswetweather.org}}</ref> Nine billion gallons of untreated waste and stormwater flow into rivers per year, leading to health hazards and Clean Water Act violations.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.publicsource.org/will-green-or-gray-infrastructure-solve-the-problem-of-raw-sewage-running-into-the-pittsburgh-regions-rivers/ |title=Raw sewage flows into Pittsburgh's rivers. Is there an environmentally friendly fix that won't break the bank? |date=December 6, 2017 |website=PublicSource |access-date=April 24, 2018}}</ref> The [[Allegheny County Sanitary Authority]] (ALCOSAN) is under a Consent Decree from the EPA and proposed a $2 billion system upgrade in 2017, approved by the EPA in 2019.<ref>{{cite web |last=Krauss |first=M. J. |date=January 30, 2018 |url=http://wesa.fm/post/alcosan-more-doubling-wastewater-treatment-plant-diminish-sewage-overlows#stream/0 |title=ALCOSAN More Than Doubling Wastewater Treatment Plant To Diminish Sewage Overflows |access-date=April 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180926131554/http://www.wesa.fm/post/alcosan-more-doubling-wastewater-treatment-plant-diminish-sewage-overlows#stream/0 |archive-date=September 26, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Hopey |first=Don |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2017/06/07/alcosan-pittsburgh-epa-sewage-control-plan-stormwater-pa/stories/201706060181 |title=EPA, Alcosan near agreement on sewage-control plan |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |date=June 7, 2017 |access-date=April 16, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Clean Water Plan: Plan Documents |url=https://www.alcosan.org/clean-water-plan/plan-documents |website=Alcosan |access-date=8 July 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

The [[Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority]] (PWSA), responsible for replacing pipes and setting water rates, has faced criticism for alleged mismanagement and for high lead levels in the city's drinking water, particularly in 2016.<ref name=puc>{{cite web |last=Lindstrom |first=Natasha |date=January 18, 2018 |title=Gov. Wolf to sign bill placing Pittsburgh's water system under PUC oversight |access-date=April 16, 2018 |url=http://triblive.com/local/allegheny/12976229-74/gov-wolf-to-ok-bill-placing-pittsburghs-water-system-under-puc-oversight |work=triblive.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Smeltz |first=Adam |url=http://www.post-gazette.com/local/city/2017/02/03/Peduto-administration-plans-advisory-team-to-assess-PWSA-Pittsburgh/stories/201702030228 |title=City to turn to advisory panel to study water, sewer issues |work=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]] |date=February 3, 2017 |access-date=April 16, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Morrison |first=Oliver |date=October 18, 2021 |title=The untold story of Pittsburgh's water crisis and a future of $300 water bills |url=http://www.publicsource.org/pwsa-pittsburgh-crisis-turnaround-infrastructure-spending-rates-water-bills/ |access-date=December 16, 2023 |website=PublicSource |language=en-US}}</ref> While lead levels have risen for years, many residents blame PWSA's administrative changes for the spike.<ref name="Morrison-2021">{{Cite web |last=Morrison |first=Oliver |date=October 19, 2021 |title=The main cause of Pittsburgh's lead crisis wasn't corporate management |url=http://www.publicsource.org/pwsa-pittsburgh-lead-water-corrosion-soda-ash-caustic-soda-orthophosphate/ |access-date=December 16, 2023 |website=PublicSource |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Lurie |first=Julia |title=Pittsburgh's Drinking Water Was Clean Until This Company Came Along |language=en-US |magazine=Wired |url=https://www.wired.com/2016/10/pittsburghs-drinking-water-got-contaminated-lead/ |access-date=December 16, 2023 |issn=1059-1028}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Glenza |first=Jessica |date=July 25, 2017 |title=Pittsburgh officials may have 'deflected' attention from lead-contaminated water |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/25/pittsburgh-lead-drinking-water-flint-epa |access-date=December 16, 2023 |issn=0261-3077}}</ref> In response, PWSA began adding orthophosphate to the water.<ref name="www.pgh2o.com-2023">{{Cite web |date=January 24, 2023 |title=PWSA Continues to Provide Protection for Those with Lead Service Lines |url=https://www.pgh2o.com/news-events/news/press-release/2023-01-24-pwsa-continues-provide-protection-those-lead-service |access-date=December 16, 2023 |website=www.pgh2o.com |language=en}}</ref> PWSA has also been working to replace lead pipes, and continuing to test water for lead.<ref name="www.pgh2o.com-2023" />

There remains concern among residents over the long-term effects of this lead, particularly for children.<ref name="Marusic">{{Cite web |last=Marusic |first=Kristina |title=Lead detected in 80% of Allegheny County, Pa., water systems: Report - EHN |url=https://www.ehn.org/pennsylvania-lead-in-water-2652678227.html |access-date=December 16, 2023 |website=www.ehn.org |language=en}}</ref> Some people also believe that the high levels of lead reflect environmental racism, as black and Hispanic children in Pittsburgh experience elevated blood-lead levels at 4 times the rate of white children.<ref name="Marusic" /><ref>{{Cite web |last=Center |first=Thomas Merton |date=February 9, 2017 |title=The Racist, Classist Origins of Pittsburgh's Water Crisis |url=https://newpeoplenewspaper.com/2017/02/09/the-racist-classist-origins-of-pittsburghs-water-crisis/ |access-date=December 16, 2023 |language=en}}</ref>