Pittsburgh Water Quality Analysis
- 01 | Who Regulates Pittsburgh’s Drinking Water?
- 02 | Where Does Pittsburgh Get Its Water?
- 03 | Pittsburgh’s Annual Water Quality Report
- 04 | Environmental Working Group Water Quality Report
- 05 | Contaminants Threatening Pittsburgh Water Quality
- 06 | Treating Pittsburgh Drinking Water
- 07 | Testing and Monitoring Pittsburgh Water Quality
- 08 | Fighting Pittsburgh Lead Contamination
- 09 | Should Pittsburgh Residents Use In-home Water Filters?
Pittsburgh is known for its factories and football, but what about its water?
Factories and clean water don’t usually go hand-in-hand, but Pittsburgh goes above and beyond to try and deliver safe tap water to its residents.
But is it enough?
Keep reading to learn the hard truth about Pittsburgh water quality…
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority provides drinking water to more than 300,000 residents throughout the greater Pittsburgh area.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection oversees their source water protection plan, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets maximum contaminant levels for over 100 different contaminants.
Pittsburgh gets its water from the Allegheny River.
They do not use ground or well water.
The water distribution system was built nearly a century ago, and it’s a complex network of pipes, pumps, and storage tanks that navigate Pittsburgh’s hills and valleys.
Every year, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority publishes a Consumer Confidence Report on the city’s water quality.
In their most recent report, the city was in compliance with all federal health-based drinking water standards.
Lead levels were below the state and federal action level of 15 parts per billion (ppb).
Although even low levels of lead can cause damaging effects on the nervous system, the government allows some lead, mostly because lead contamination is so widespread nationwide that it’s unrealistic to remove it entirely.
Pittsburgh has taken major steps to reduce lead levels in their distribution system, which is why levels are now lower than they’ve ever been in the recent past.
We’ll talk more about the effects of lead on Pittsburgh's water quality later on in this article.
For now, let’s take a look at the latest Environmental Working Group report on Pittsburgh water quality…
The Environmental Working Group is a nonprofit group that publishes water quality data on cities across the country.
Their health standards are much stricter than the federal government’s and are based on the most recent medical research.
The EWG pools data from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. EPA Enforcement and Compliance History database.
In the Environmental Working Group’s latest report on Pittsburgh water quality, they found 12 contaminants exceeding their health guidelines by the following amounts:
- Bromodichloromethane: 276x
- Bromoform: 3.1x
- Chloroform: 67x
- Chromium (hexavalent): 27x
- Dibromoacetic acid: 16x
- Dibromochloromethane: 96x
- Dichloroacetic acid: 58x
- Haloacetic acids (HAA5): 164x
- Haloacetic acids (HAA9): 545x
- Nitrate: 4.4x
- Total trihalomethanes: 361x
- Trichloroacetic acid: 94x
They also found the following contaminants at lower levels:
- Dioxane
- Barium
- Chlorate
- Cyanide
- Fluoride
- Monochloroacetic acid
- Nitrite
- Strontium
Next, let’s take a closer look at the major contaminants threatening Pittsburgh water quality…
According to Pittsburgh's Consumer Confidence Report, the most likely sources of pollution in the Allegheny River are:
- Contaminants from industrial processes
- Discharge from power plants
- Relase of petroleum products from pipeline ruptures
- Stormwater runoff from ser overflows
- Leaks from submerge pipelines and storage tanks
- Deicing materials
- Accidental spills along railroad tracks
At the same time, Pittsburgh tap water is also exposed to disinfection byproducts (DBPs) from chlorine treatment and other contaminants like lead and bacteria.
Here’s the major contaminants affecting Pittsburgh water quality:
Chromium-6 is a highly toxic metal.
Studies show that chromium-6 in drinking water can increase the risk of cancer, especially stomach cancers.
Chromium is tasteless and odorless.
Chromium-6 and its close relative chromium-3 are monitored by the federal government as “total chromium,” but neither are regulated independently.
The current maximum contaminant level for total chromium is 0.1 mg/L.
However, they set this limit back in 1991 when the only research linked chromium to bad skin reactions.
The federal government still hasn’t updated it to reflect recent cancer-related research.
In the latest Environmental Working Group report, Pittsburgh tested at 27x the health guidelines for chromium-6.
Nitrate is a naturally occurring compound in the rocks and soil and is important for plant growth.
It’s one of the main ingredients in fertilizers and typically enters the water supply as farm runoff.
Nitrate is also present in high levels in animal and human feces, and also enters the water from leaky sewers and septic tanks.
Consuming too much nitrate can have dangerous consequences, especially for infants.
Babies under 6 months are at a high risk for a condition called methemoglobinemia, or blue baby syndrome.
Once nitrate enters the blood, it inhibits red blood cells from carrying oxygen.
Methemoglobinemia can cause the skin to turn blue and result in death.
Vulnerable adults can also suffer from methemoglobinemia.
People with anemia, cardiovascular disease, lung disease, and certain metabolic conditions are at high risk.
- Increased heart rate
- Decreased blood pressure
- Headaches
- Stomach cramps
- Vomiting
In the Environmental Working Group’s report, Pittsburgh tested 4.4x the recommended health guidelines for nitrate.
Total trihalomethanes (TTHMs) are a group of disinfection byproducts that form when chlorine mixes with organic matter in water.
They can be extremely toxic, especially with long-term exposure.
Chronic exposure to TTHMs in drinking water have been linked to an increased risk of bladder cancer, colon cancer, and negative reproductive outcomes.
In the Environmental Working Group’s report, Pittsburgh water quality tested 361x the recommended health guidelines for total trihalomethanes.
Chloroform is a specific trihalomethane linked to nervous system depression and an increased risk of birth defects.
The main source of chloroform pollution in drinking water is waste from paper mills and chemical companies.
Pittsburgh's water tested 67x the EWG’s recommended health guidelines.
Dibromochloromethane is another trihalomethane that Pittsburgh tested positive for, at 96x the EWG’s health guidelines.
It’s known for causing liver and kidney damage when ingested.
The main source of dibromochloromethane pollution in drinking water is pesticides, refrigerator fluid, spray can propellants, and fire extinguisher fluids.
Trichloroacetic acid is a type of disinfection byproduct that’s part of the haloacetic acid group of DBPs.
The main way it enters drinking water is a byproduct of the chlorination treatment process.
Chronic exposure to trichloroacetic acid may increase the risk of cancer and pregnancy complications.
Pittsburgh water quality tested 94x the EWG’s recommended health guidelines.
The Allegheny River has problems with bacteria contamination in the summer and early fall.
Cryptosporidium is a type of microbial pathogen that can be dangerous to humans and animals.
Ingesting water contaminated with cryptosporidium can cause symptoms like:
- Watery diarrhea
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramps
- Headaches
- Dehydration
- Fever
- Weight loss
Most people overcome the disease in a few weeks.
Unfortunately, most filtration methods can’t guarantee removal of cryptosporidium.
To make matters worse, Pittsburgh’s current test methods can’t tell the difference between dead organisms and living organisms that are capable of making people sick.
One of the biggest challenges facing Pittsburgh water quality is lead contamination.
Prior to 1986, lead distribution lines and lead plumbing components were common.
Overtime, these pipes corrode and release lead into the water.
Lead is an extremely toxic heavy metal.
It can cause devastating health effects when consumed in drinking water, even at low doses.
Young children and pregnant women are especially vulnerable.
- Behavior and learning problems
- Lower IQ
- Hyperactivity
- Slowed growth
- Hearing problems
- Damage to central and peripheral nervous system
- Anemia
When pregnant women consume lead, the lead is stored in the bones and passes to the developing fetus as maternal calcium.
This can lead to reduced growth of the fetus and premature birth.
Lead is also dangerous to healthy adults and can cause:
- Hypertension
- Nervous system damage
- Decreased kidney function
- Reproductive issues in both men and women
Later on in this article, we’ll take a look at the specific steps the City of Pittsburgh is taking to reduce lead contamination.
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority produces roughly 65-75 million gallons of water a day.
Altogether, the entire treatment process takes up to three days to complete.
The water is pumped from the Allegheny River to the treatment plant.
The steps of Pittsburgh’s treatment process looks like this:
- Coagulation: They add special chemicals (ferric chloride, potassium permanganate, carbon, catatonic polymer) to make smaller particles stick together so that they’re easier to remove.
- Sedimentation: The clumped-together particles settle at the bottom of the basin and the clearer water at the top passes on to the next stage.
- Filtration: The water slowly passes through sand and anthracite coal filters to remove any remaining particles.
- Disinfection: They add sodium hypochlorite as a chemical disinfectant to kill microbial pathogens.
- Corrosion control: Orthophosphate is added to reduce pipe corrosion and limit levels of lead in the city’s tap water.
- Fluoridation: Hydrofluosilicic acid is added to prevent cavities as recommended by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
But wait, that’s not all!
Pittsburgh is pretty unique in that all their water flows through an entire secondary treatment facility called the Microfiltration Plant In Highland Park.
There they treat the water with microfiltration, UV light treatment, and chlorination before distribution to the public.
The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority tests the water for contaminants before, during, and after treatment.
Based on the test results of the source water, they adjust the treatment process as needed.
They also take samples during the treatment process, in storage facilities, and at several points throughout the distribution network.
Altogether, they conduct more than 100,000 analyses for 100 different contaminants every year.
In 2019, the Pittsburgh Sewer and Water Authority started adding orthophosphate to reduce lead levels.
Before this, they were using soda ash and lime to prevent corrosion, but a year-long study found that orthophosphate was more effective.
Orthophosphate is a food-grade substance that forms a protective layer on the inside of lead service lines.
This creates a barrier between the lead pipes and the water flowing through them.
So far, the change is working and Pittsburgh has been able to reduce their lead levels to below the federal action limit.
Beginning in 2016, the city also implemented a lead line replacement program.
Since then, they’ve replaced thousands of lead service lines.
In 2022 they began a new program to prioritize replacing lines connected to daycare facilities.
Their goal is to replace all of the city’s lead lines by 2026.
Pittsburgh deals with ongoing lead, nitrate, chromium, and sometimes bacterial contamination.
The city has an aggressive lead contamination plan and they also go the extra mile with a secondary treatment process.
However, by the time the water reaches your tap, it might still contain dangerous pollutants.
The only way to ensure clean, safe drinking water for you and your family is to install a water filtration system in your home.
High-quality reverse osmosis (RO) systems can remove up to 99.9% of all harmful contaminants.
Cloud Water Filters also use built-in software to monitor your water quality 24/7 through an app on your phone.
They even remineralize the water with a healthy balance of magnesium and calcium for perfect pH and a delicious taste.
