Pittsburgh Water has replaced its 16,000th public lead service line as part of an ongoing effort to remove lead from the city’s drinking water system.
The utility company’s Community Lead Response program began in 2016. Since then, crews have replaced more than 16,000 public lead service lines and more than 12,250 private lead service lines across the system.
Pittsburgh Water CEO Will Pickering emphasized the utility’s commitment to finishing the project by the end of 2027.
“We’ve kept our focus on finishing this work and we will continue moving aggressively until every residential lead service line in our system has been removed,” Pickering said.
Mayor Corey O’Connor highlighted the impact of the infrastructure improvements.
“Replacing lead service lines is the kind of work that directly improves quality of life in our neighborhoods,” O’Connor said. “It means safer drinking water, stronger infrastructure and one less thing families have to worry about.”
Since 2016, Pittsburgh Water crews and contractors have worked at 39,427 homes throughout its service area to inspect, verify or replace service lines. As part of the work, the program has also resulted in the replacement of more than 35,000 sidewalk sections across local neighborhoods.
Alongside physical line replacements, Pittsburgh Water utilizes a water treatment process to minimize lead exposure. In 2025, the utility recorded a lead level of 2.0 parts per billion, the lowest level in its history and below the federal action threshold of 15 parts per billion.
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