PWSA rates to increase (Pittsburgh: upkeep, disposing, authority)

[tyovan4]

Customers likely will pay higher rates to support that and much more as the struggling PWSA claws back from inadequate upkeep, financial distress and questionable oversight, say current and former city officials. They said the system was already limping when the municipal authority took over the city water department in the mid-1990s.
...
The effort highlights a shift at PWSA, which is pumping more money into infrastructure after high-profile setbacks that began a few years ago. First came billing and customer service problems, then management upheaval, a regulatory order to replace lead lines, the latest Lanpher break, a massive flush-and-boil advisory and other technical woes.
Moderator cut: quote shortened, copyright protection
...
City sees long haul, likely rate hikes to shore up PWSA | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Will be interesting to see any pushback that PWSA and the City get for this.
Water rates are already going up every year to help pay to implement the ALCOSAN consent order regarding CSO's. (some environmental groups who had complained about the CSO's then complained about the rising rates) Will also be interesting to see if the EPA gives the region more time to address the poop in the river given that public demand would likely prioritize the issue with lead in the water.

Still, as someone who works with environmental and health issues, lead paint is a far greater risk (particularly given the age of Allegheny County's housing stock) than lead in the water is.

A very interesting story that really highlights some of the utter mismanagement that occurred, and how it occurred.

Though I don't understand what "the absence of a regional approach to public assets" means in regards to PWSA??

[svband76]

It's well known that many boaters simply dump their peeps and poops directly into our rivers instead of disposing properly.