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Repairs to PWSA water main will cost $400,000, take 2 months to complete

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority said Tuesday that repairs to a leaking 60-inch water main will take up to two months to complete and will cost approximately $400,000.

The line has been leaking thousands of gallons of water a minute since at least Feb. 14, when PWSA crews noticed falling water levels at the Lanpher and Highland 2 reservoirs.

A “test shut” on Sunday on Parker Street in Etna helped isolate the leak, PWSA officials said. The break is approximately 8 feet long and is located at the bottom of the main.

Parker Street is closed between Washington and Hill streets while work is completed.

Officials said water service and water quality are not expected to be affected during the repair work.

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Crews successfully shut down the line, which nearly caused a water crisis. Mayor Bill Peduto said it was a very delicate operation on the 103-year-old line.

“The valves have all worked, which was a question when you are dealing with infrastructure this old. The pressure has been able to be maintained, and the reservoirs are both holding,” Peduto said.

At a news conference Feb. 16, PWSA officials said the leak is in a water main connecting the Aspinwall treatment plant to the Lanpher reservoir. Crews estimated that as much as 10,000 gallons of water per minute were gushing into a sewer and then a creek that leads into the Allegheny River, but service has not been affected.

Crews on Tuesday afternoon shut down several main lines that run across the Allegheny River and isolated the leak to Etna.

A release issued Wednesday evening by the PWSA indicated that after crews closed valves in the Lanpher and Highland 2 reservoirs, the leak was isolated to just the Lanpher reservoir, which serves approximately 45,000 residents north of the Allegheny River.

Since the valves were closed Wednesday afternoon, water levels have increased at the Highland 2 reservoir, which was set to be filled to capacity Wednesday night, the statement said. Officials said the reservoir can provide water service to the Lanpher service area on Thursday, if needed.

“Due to the leak, the Lanpher service area is estimated to be losing approximately 10,000 gallons per minute. This loss represents 20 percent of the average daily water production,” a PWSA news release Wednesday said. “PWSA is working through the night to identify the exact location of the leak. We will continue to keep customers informed as the situation progresses.”

The PWSA reiterated that there is no risk to water quality or supply. Additional pumps were mobilized to ensure adequate water pressure and supply. The city's public safety department also called in water trucks as a precaution.

"We have them all over the city," Peduto said. "We want to be ready just in case we need water."

The PWSA said there have been no complaints from customers about any drop in water pressure, water quality or discoloration, said Kevin Acklin, the mayor's chief of staff.

Acklin also said the PWSA does not expect any issues with water quality and supply.

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