Document reQKmVr4dpgmGQy1nJp7kxB4e

TRIB Lf/home/) S | Back f/news/aifegheny/9912555-74/author{tv-pwsa-accounts1 [ Text Size: -- 4* http://fcribiivexom/news/atlegheny/9912555-74/authority-pwsa-accounts Pittsburgh water authority set back $32M by unpaid accounts AARON AUPPERLEE W {https;#twitter,com/FinyNotcbook} | Monday, Feb, 29, 2016, 11:15 p.m. Broken water meters and billing disputes have ballooned Into a more than $30 million problem for the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority. The authority had $32,3 m illion in unpaid water and sewer bills on its books. But it won't collect the money or shut o ff accounts until it figures out what the almost 45,000 delinquent residential and commercial accounts owe on water or sewer payments or both, said Kent Lindsay, the authority's finance director. "We have been tackling these one at a time, and they are not easy to get through," Lindsay said. "We could be very aggressive and ju st shut everybody off, but we don't w ant to do that with our current billing situation." Almost 23,000 residential water and sewer customers owe a combined $14.9 million, according to data PWSA provided to the Tribune-Review. Almost $13 million o f that is more than six months overdue, PWSA also bills fo r the Allegheny County Sanitary Authority. Brendan Schubert, a spokesman fo r PWSA, said the authority has collected about $2 million in delinquent payments from residential accounts in recent months. More than 2,100 commercial accounts, including the Housing Authority o f the City of Pittsburgh, Point State Park, UPMC, Allegheny County and Reserve, a township o f about 3,500 just outside of the city that buys w ater from PWSA, are $8.3 m illion in arrears on w ater and sewer payments. Almost $3 m illion o f tha t is more than six months overdue. "It's not that we don't want to pay them, it's that we want to pay them properly," said Jeremy Rekich, an assistant regional manager in the Office o f State Parks about Point State Park's $831,463 delinquent bill with PWSA. Rekich said the park disputes readings from PWSA meters. The park uses 800,000 gallons o f PWSA wafer twice a summer to fill its fountain and the reservoir feeding it. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061_00061913-00001 And $ 6 3 million is owed on 3,500 vacant lots where PWSA continued to bill because the authority wasn't inform ed the lots were empty. More than 16,000 sewage-only customers owe $2.9 million. The data on delinquent accounts is as o f Feb. 19. Schubert said the status o f delinquent accounts changes frequently as the autho rity resolves issues and some customers pay. PWSA claims to have about 300,000 customers. The authority is owed nearly 40 times m ore than other w ater authorities in Allegheny and W estmoreland counties combined. The counties are served by more than 30 water authorities. Not ail responded to the Tribune-Review's request for delinquency data, but the 20 that did reported nearly $860,000 in past-due bills. The Municipal Authority o f Westmoreland County serves about 125,000 customers in five counties and reported nearly $83,000 in delinquent bills. The West View W ater Authority, which serves about 200,000 people, has 60 delinquent accounts owing $28,235. Lindsay, who was hired in August and earns $170,000 annually, said the authority addressed delinquent accounts "sporadically" in the p a st He assigned a couple of employees to focus on problem accounts last month. City Controller Michael Lamb said the num ber of delinquent bills represents, In part, the level o f "chaos and mess in their billing departm ent." PWSA has been sued because faulty meters overcharged customers. Some customers didn't get a bill for six months, Lamb said. His office is auditing PWSA and looking at billing and delinquencies. "We know that there are serious billing problems down there only because we hear about it from ratepayers and we see it in the audit," Lamb said. "I ju st think it's really problematic th a t here they are asking ratepayers to pay more money when they can't get their own delinquencies in order." PWSA raised its rates 2.6 percent this year, the third straight annual increase. Total bills fo r PWSA customers Increased more than 2.6 percent because the Allegheny County Sanitary A uthority increased its sewage rates. The authority is expected to raise rates again in 2017. Average monthly w ater bills increased $4.32 per m onth in 2014 and $1.94 in 2015, Average water bills increased $1.26 this year and wilt increase 77 cents next year. Collecting even a fraction o f what the authority thinks it is owed could stave o ff rate increases. Each 1 percent rate increase nets the authority $1 million more in revenue, Lindsay said. "Certainly, if $30 million rolled in, it would reduce the am ount o f rate increases that we need," Lindsay said. "But let's face it, th a t's pie in the sky. A lot o f those balances are old, and a lot o f that is not going to be collectible." PWSA billing complaints flood Pittsburgh Coundlwoman Theresa Kail-Smith's office almost daily. She said she's tired o f just talking to the authority about the problem. Smith questioned the $240,600 salary the board gave Executive Director Jim Good when It hired him in May. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00002 "It's very disheartening," Kail-Smith said o f the repeated issues, concerns, complaints and frustrations plaguing PWSA. "At this point, i think it merits more than a discussion with PWSA. I think it merits action." Kail-Smith would not say what she thinks should happen. The Housing Authority o f the City o f Pittsburgh topped PWSA's delinquent list, owing nearly $1 million on 25 accounts, according to PWSA. Lindsay and Michelle Jackson, a spokeswoman for the housing authority, said representatives meet frequently to w ork out disputes over water bills. "It's imperative that we verily the bills and charges for accuracy so we can spend governm ent dollars appropriately to resolve any outstanding issues," Jackson wrote in an email. UPMCs unpaid balance dropped from about $565,000 to $239,18 In a m atter of months, Schubert said. Allegheny County claims it paid its balance, except charges on two accounts in Blawnox that the county disputes, said Amie Downs, a county spokeswoman. Downs said the accounts serve other businesses but the county gets bills. PWSA Is investigating, Schubert said. Reserve suspects a meter under Troy Hill Road Is broken, said township Manager Tom Lavorini. The township's delinquent bill is $647,800. "Right now, we're having a little bit o f a dispute about one o f the meters that PWSA reads to bill us," Lavorini said. "We're delinquent but, l don't know how to say, but that's not the case." Lavorini said money has been set aside to pay the water bill once the m eter is fixed and both sides determine how much is owed. Schubert said meter repair has gone out to bid and the au tho rity hopes to have a new one installed by June, Aaron Aupperlee Is a Tribune-Review staff w riter. Reach him at 412-320-7986 or aaupperiee@tribweb.com (mailto:aaupperlee@trlbweb.com). Copyright 2017 -- Trib Total M edlSL.L i t (.http://trIbteta Imedia.corrt/1 (TribLiVE.com) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00003 H IT f i l 1 J ^ f/horoe/) 1 1 % 1 U Zj | Backl/oW 5/altjeghnv/10080218-74/boa rd-aut hority-custom erl [ Text Size: -,+ h ttp ://trib liv e .e o m /n e w s /a lie g h e n y /1 0 0 8 0 2 1 8~74/board~authority~cu5torner PW SA director resigns as frustrations mount over erroneous water bills BOB BAUDER ^ (httpsV/twittercom/BobBauder) | Thursday, March 3, 2016, 4:15 p.m. Biii Vidonic / Tribune-Review Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority interim Executive Directorjim Good displays clothing on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, that company workers should be wearing when they call on customers. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00004 The executive director o f the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer A uthority resigned Thursday amid m ounting customer complaints about overbilling and poor customer service. The autho rity's board accepted Jim Good's resignation immediately and began a nationwide search for his replacement in the interim, the board appointed form er Allegheny Regional Asset District Director David Donahoe as Good's replacement, Ponahoe will be paid $10,000 a month, the equivalent o f his salary at RAD, Good resigned two days after the Tribune-Review reported that PWSA had amassed $32,3 m illion in unpaid water and sewer biils, City officials said Good's resignation was voluntary, but they expressed concerns about the a u tho rity's response to billing and customer service complaints, "We were dissatisfied with the measures that had been taken so far, and we really wanted to see a better outcome," said City Councilwoman Deb Gross o f Highland Park, who is on the PWSA board. She noted that her office has received "dozens and dozens" o f complaints this year. "We had higher expectations fo r service for our constituents," she said. Good, 52, who was hired in May at an annual salary of $240,000, issued a statement saying PWSA evolved under his leadership into a "performance-based organization focused on stakeholder needs," He said he was proud o f his accomplishments and praised PWSA employees fo r a job well done. "Everything the PWSA needs to be a great water utility is in place," he said, "l wish my colleagues and friends at the authority, its board and the adm inistration nothing but the best in the ir efforts to build on this legacy and ensure its transform ation is successfully completed," Good served three years on an interim basis as an employee o f Veoiia Worth America, which was hired by PWSA in 2012 to help improve the authority's performance, PWSA board Chairman Alex W. Thomson in May caiied Good's perm anent hiring "the most im portant decision this board has made in its tenure." Thomson said Thursday tha t the authority has improved its internal operations, capital planning and construction coordination, but still has many challenges. "With the support of Mayor William Peduto, this board has dedicated itself to tackling the tough decisions to get the authority heading in the right direction," Thomson w rote in a statement. 'The board thanks Jim Good for his efforts in this regard. However, we are keenly aware of the frustration some customers have with the continued billing and customer service problems. We understand that much work still needs to be done. We are determ ined as a board to fsx these problems and gain back the trust o f all our customers as quickly as possible," Before Good's permanent hiring, PWSA had operated w ith tem porary directors since 2010, when Michael Kenney resigned during a scandal over a w ater line insurance program. The authority has since been criticized fo r risky bond investments, high debt, Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00005 poor customer service and neglected Infrastructure. "This has been 20 years or more o f Insufficient investment and management," Raduto said, "You can't put this all on the shoulders o f Mr, Good and previous managers," Bob Bander Is a Tribune-Review staff w riter. Reach him at 412-765-2312 or bbauder@trsbweb.com fmailto:bbauder@fribwab.com1. RELATED COTEMI Pittsburgh water authority set back $32fv1 by unpaid accounts Broken water meters and billing disputes have ballooned into a more than $30 million problem for the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, The authority had ... (http://triblive.com/news/9912555-74/authorlty-pwsa-accounts) Copyright 2017 --- Trib Total Media, LLC (http://tribtotaimedia.eom/i (TribLIVE.com} Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061_00061913-00006 TRIBI" | t horitv-d jrecto r) | Text Size:- + h ttp ://trib iive .e o m /n e w s/a d m in p a g e /1 00 85475-74/board-authority-director Ex-PW SA director to receive $60K severancermedical benefits BOB BAUDER I f (https://iwittcr.com/BobBaudcr) | Friday, March 4, 2018, 12:51 p.m. Bill Vidonic l Tribune-Review Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority interim Executive Director Jim Good displays clothing on Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, that company workers should be wearing when they call on customers. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00007 The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer A uth ority's board agreed to a severance package that will pay fo rm e r Executive Director Jim Good $60,000 plus medical benefits for six months, board officials said Friday. Good resigned Thursday amid mounting customer complaints about overbiiling and poor customer service. The board appointed fo rm e r Allegheny Regional Asset District Director David Donahoe as Good's replacement. Donahoe will be paid $10,000 a month. Board Chairman Alex Thomson said PWSA agreed to pay Good a $60,000 lum p sum and health care coverage tha t will cost the authority approxim ately $10,000. Good, 52, could not be reached for comment. The board signed him in May to a threeyear contract at an annual salary o f $240,000. Good served for three years before that as interim director. Paul leger, Pittsburgh's finance director and a member o f PWSA's board, said the board approached Donahoe before Good's resignation and inquired about his interest in heading the authority if a change in leadership occurred. "Dave was available and a num ber o f us on the board knew him," Leger said. "We lucked out." The Tribune-Review reported on Tuesday that, the authority has amassed $32.3 million in unpaid sewer and water bills. Some customers told the Trib tha t they are challenging the accuracy of billing, Leger said billing problems persist, but the authority is making progress. He said employees have reduced errors from about 50 percent to "4 o r 5 percent" o f total bills. PWSA has about 300,000 customers. "When you start to tam per with that and start to fix it you uncover other problems," Leger said. "That's what's going on w ith the billing. Every time we address one thing, fou r or five other problems crop up. The change in leadership gives us new ways to address those problems." Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff w riter. Peach him at 412-765-2312 or bbauder@frlbweb.com 1mailtoibbauder@tribweb.coml Copyright 2017 -- Trib Total Media. LLC (http://tribtotalmedia.eom/l (TribLIVE.com) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00008 TRIB JiZhfiDQS > Z Q I i a ckl/ngws/a llegheoy/10142854i74/pwsa-b i11ing-dooahoe) [ Text Size: --+ h ttp ://trib live .co m /n e w s/a lle g h e n y/1 0 1 4 2 8 5 4 -7 4 /p w sa -b iilin g -d o n a h o e PW SA 'overwhelmed' by volume of complaints about inaccurate bills BOB BAUDER W (httpW/swhter.corrVBobBauder) \ Monday, March 14, 2016, 6:03 p,m. The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority in 2014 promised a new $9.4 m illion electronic meter reading system would provide accurate and real-time billing inform ation to customers. But the system in many cases didn't "talk" to the autho rity's new billing software, according to acting Executive Director David Donahoe, who appeared before Pittsburgh City Council on Monday during a public meeting. The result: nearly 50,000 inaccurate bills, said Councilwoman Deb Gross of Highland Park, who serves on the PWSA board of directors, "The marriage o f the reading and the billing systems did no t go well in all cases," said Donahoe, who was appointed March 3 to head PWSA after the resignation o f Executive Director Jim Good. "Our goal is to get this marriage working as soon as we can possibly do that." Donahoe said a major problem is that Pittsburgh homes are equipped w ith a variety of old water meters o f different makes, models and operations. Sewer bills are based on w ater usage. PWSA employees and a consulting team are working to make electronic readers communicate with the water meters and billing. Work is about 99 percent complete fo r 70,500 affected residential customers and about 60 percent complete for 9,600 commercial customers, Donahoe said. Inaccurate billing has dropped from about 50 percent to 3 percent, said Paul Leger, Pittsburgh's finance director and a PWSA board member. The Tribune-Review reported last m onth that PWSA had $32.3 million in delinquent bills. Council members said they continue to field complaints from frustrated water customers. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00009 One woman told CoundSwoman Natalia Rudiak's office tha t she couldn't afford Christmas gifts last year because o f high water bills. A North Side man told Counclfwoman Darlene Harris o f Spring Hill th a t he cashed in his retirem ent savings to pay his PWSA bill. "These are complaints ju s t from our office alone," said Councilwoman Theresa Kali-Smith o f Westwood, waving a stack o f papers several inches thick. "It's a huge stack.! don't understand what the problem is." Rudiak o f Carrick estimated that her office staff spent tw o weeks In total w ork time over the past year dealing w ith complaints o f rude treatm ent by PWSA employees, inconsistent answers to the same question, dismissive attitudes and excessive phone call hold time. Donahoe blamed the poor customer service on the billing issue. He said telephone operators were overwhelmed by the volum e o f calls and could not give accurate inform ation because o f incorrect m eter readings. "I have told everyone w ho works at the authority that they have to treat the public with the respect they deserve," he said. Council members said complaints about utilities and other city authorities are rare. "I think the fundamental question is we have never been able to get to the kernel of what makes PWSA so different than ail these other authorities," Rudiak said. Bob Bauder is a staff w rite r for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-765-2312 or ia im d je j^trib w e b ^ Copyright 2017 -- Trib Total Media, LLC (http://tribtotainrsedia.eom/l {TribLIVE.com} Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061_00061913-00010 TRIB ^f/haini/1 I Back1/n ewjM fe g b s ny/ t 0165748-74/a y tho r ity-pwsa -m j11ion 1 | Text Size: --+ bttp://triblive,CGm/news/allegbeny/1016S748~74/authoritypwsa-million $ 5 M water bill shocks Brighton H eights customer who owes less than $100 BORBAUDER IP {hupW/twitter.com/BobBauder) | Thursday, March 17, 2016, 5:36 p.m. Mindy Rice nearly fainted when a w ater shutoff notice arrived last m onth stating she owed $5 million to the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, "It was like, 'Oh my god, are we supplying w ater to all o f Observatory Hill?' " the 51-yearold Brighton Heights resident said Thursday, "All we could do was laugh, i mean, what would you do if you saw that?" PWSA spokesman Brendan Schubert said the am ount was the result of "human error," explaining that Rice's account number was mistakenly entered in place o f the am ount she owed. The error was made at a bad time fo r the w ater authority, Two weeks ago, PWSA Executive Director Jim Good resigned amid m ounting criticism about inaccurate billing. This week, City Council members told PWSA interim Director David Donahoe that they field calls daily from people complaining about billing errors and poor custom er service. The authority has racked up nearly 50,000 Inaccurate bills because o f electronic meter readers that don't communicate correctly w ith the authority's billing system, according to PWSA officials, The Tribune-Review reported In February that PWSA had $32,3 million in delinquent bills, Schubert said Rice owed the authority $191,15 in past due charges, but the authority discounted that by $94,46 as a courtesy because o f the error. That leaves a past due balance o f $96,69, which Rice said she is more than willing to pay, "I need water, I have kids here, but I'm not paying $5 million," she said, "if I had $5 million, I don't think I'd be living in the city." Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00011 Staff w riter Aaron Aupperiee contributed. Bob Bauder is a staff w riter for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-765-2312 or bbauder@ fribweb.com EaaliiQbaudi^ r.[tM^ , i ^ ) . Copyright 2 0 1 7 -- Trib Total Media. LLC fhttp://tribtotalmedia.com/) {TribLIVE.com) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00012 LU fflmmfiZ) > -J I Badii/i^iQiflDZedd3fi}dZ1^2 ^2 59^.7^uthQa:ve^enQvskvs-yelenovsky^ | Text Size: --+ http://tribiive.com/opinion/ericheyi/10129259-74/authority-yelenovskys-yeienovsky HeyI; Mt. W ashington couple's bills fault of PW SAror of dirty sp irits? ERICHEYL I Thursday, March 17, 2016, 11:25 p,m. Pho The Yelenovskys' w ater meter indicated much less water was being used than what was reflected on their bills, Ethereal spirits evidently invaded the empty house, and they must have enjoyed taking long showers. But should Robert and Janine Yelenovsky be on the hook for the Indulgences of waterlogged wraiths? The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer A uthority believes so, The agency refuses to refund the couple $876 fo r 36,000 gallons o f w afer the Yelenovskys contend they were erroneously billed for between last March and November. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00013 The Yelenovskys said th e ir house on VYinton Street in Mt. Washington was vacant after m id-A pril when they moved to Oakdale, They have photos that seem to show the usage registered on the meter was far less than the am ount the authority claimed when billing them. "There's no way that much water was being used in an em pty house," said Robert Yelenovsky, 52, a retirem ent plan financial adviser, "Something is seriously wrong with (the authority)/1 The fact th a t fiasco flows as freely at the agency as the w ater it supplies is indisputable. The authority has adm itted sending 50,000 bills that were inaccurate because its reading and billing systems weren't in sync, As the Trib reported last month, the problems contributed to $32.3 m illion in delinquent bills. Authority Executive Director Jim Good resigned days after that revelation. The autho rity's problems have been well-documented. Less so has been its progress in addressing them, perhaps making the Yelenovskys1situation insightful to other rate payers. Yelenovsky said he typically was billed fo r about 2,600 gallons a month. That number skyrocketed to 14,000 gallons in March 2015 when a new m eter was installed, and between May and November totaled 26,000 gallons --- even though the house was empty during that time, "When I called to complain, I was told we had a leak," he said, "l had a plum ber come out, and he said that was incorrect." Yelenovsky began taking pictures o f the m eter each m onth to record the inaccuracies. They were enclosed in a com plaint he filed w ith the authority in January. in a letter last week to the Yelenovskys, the agency noted only that it had complied with its own regulation to make at least one in-person m eter reading per year at the address, "Unless you can provide evidence to the contrary, the appeal must be denied," customer service assistant manager Mary Lou Fagan wrote. She then helpfully provided a phone num ber for the couple to set up a payment plan, Authority officials on Thursday declined to elaborate on Fagan's letter, pending further review o f the Yelenovsky account that the authority reviewed in denying the couple's appeal, "W hat's happening is outrageous," Yelenovsky said. Indeed. But don't blame the authority, which insists the Yelenovskys' assertions have no merit. Blame the Yelenovskys fo r letting those spirits linger in the shower of their em pty house. If only they had called the Ghostbusters ... Eric Heyl is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-320-7857 or eMyl@ Mbweb j m ^ Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00014 Copyright 2017 -- In b T ta l Media, LLC fhttp://tribtotaimedia.comfl (TribLIVE.coni) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00015 TRIBs I f f l l 1 I f l l l LiJi/home/1 BackiZoews/aiieghenv/10275838-?4/pwsa-sewer--departmentl | Text Size; TM+ http://trsblive.com/news/allegheny/10275838-74/pwsa~sewer-department Overbrook residents, PW SA clash over troubled sewer BOB BAtJBER W(htips;4twiucr.com/BobBauder) j Sunday, April 1, 2018, 11:08 p.m. Guy Wathen j Tribune-Review (From left to right) Homehurst Avenue homeowners Jim Rauber, Patti Schanck, Natalie Leon, Steve Sell, and Louise Sell In Overbrook on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Residents of Homehurst Avenue in Overbrook say the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority has maintained their common sewer line for decades but now claims they are responsible for costly repairs that could exceed the value of their homes. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00016 The Allegheny County Health Departm ent in 2014 cited a dozen homeowners with violating department regulations after a backup sent raw sewage into the street, Residents were given a choice: Replace the line or agree to share its future maintenance costs. They said PWSA estimated the replacement cost at $500,000 to $1 million, possibly more. "I've got a $50,000 house down there, and they want me to pay $80,000 o r $90,000 to put a sewer line in," said Jim ftauber, 72. 'They can have the house." Residents have appealed the departm ent's citation but have been waiting fo r more than two years fo ra hearing. Department spokeswoman Melissa Wade said the department Intends to schedule a hearing, but it had no t done so as o f Friday. PWSA spokesman Brendan Schubert said authority records indicate the Homehurst sewer line Is privately owned. He said PWSA m aintains 1,250 miles o f public sewer lines. Private owners maintain another 750 miles, which includes lines running from homes to a sewer main, he said. Pittsburgh's Department o f Public Works maintained city sewers before PWSA was created In 1999. Schubert said PWSA has no prio r maintenance records for the Homehurst line. "When (PWSA) was created, we didn't assume responsibility fo r all sewer lines," Schubert said. "W hat we assumed responsibility fo r were publicly maintained sewer lines on record drawings that were turned over to us." Residents Fear the sewer line will block up again and PWSA will refuse to fix it, leaving them stuck w ith the cost They said their homes are In lim bo until the dispute Is resolved. "Right now If something happened and we had to sell our house, we couldn't," Rauber said. Problems on Homehurst -- where houses date to the 1920s -- began in early 2014 when the sewer line backed up. PWSA unclogged the line, residents said, but balked when it backed up again later that year. "They're trying to say we're private and we're not part o f PWSA," said Natalie Leon, 69, "How can th a t be possible? The city always serviced us. There was never a question of being part o f the city." The authority eventually fixed the problem when raw sewage began running down the street. In October 2014, residents received the health department's citation. "We ju st want (PWSA) to take responsibility fo r the line and qu it asking us to absorb the cost o f replacing It," said resident Patti Schanck, 55. City Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak o f Carrlck, who represents Overbrook, said her office has been trying to resolve the problem fo r more than a year. Rudiak has asked the health departm ent to dismiss the citation. 'There Is no way -- no way -- that homeowners should have the burden of this cost," she said. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00017 Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff w riter. Reach him at 412-765-2312 or bbauder@fribweb.com {m ailto:bbauder@ tribweb.com I Copyright 2017 --Trib Total Media. LLC fhttp://trbtof3lm edia,com /) (TribUVE.com} Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00018 TRIB LUf/home/1 S | Back (/news/adminpage/10366164-74/dep~fead-pwsa) | Text Size: " + http://triblive.eom/news/adminpage/l 0366164-74/dep-lead-pwsa Pennsylvania DEP says Pittsburgh utility violated drinking water standards BOB 8MJBER W (https://twitter.corn/BobBaudcr) j Monday, April 25, 2016, 3:09 p.m. The state Department: o f Environmental Protection on Monday cited the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer A uthority w ith violating safe drinking w ater standards by im properly switching the chemicals it uses to protect customers from lead. A DEP official said a Tribune-Review story in January tipped o ff the departm ent tha t PW5A used caustic soda from April 2014 to January instead o f the soda ash required by its operating perm it DEP officials stressed that the public faces no health risk based on a test conducted Friday at PWSA's water plant in Aspinwall, but they don't know w hether the change affected lead levels at residential taps. PW5A switched back to soda ash in January. "Did it have an adverse effect for 14 months? We don't know that because they don't have any samples yet from that 14-month period," said George Jugovic Jr,, chief counsel for the environmental watchdog group Penn Future. "W hat you need are samples taken out in the distribution system at people's taps during that 14-month period to see if any changes took place." That's impossible, according to PWSA's acting Executive Director David Donahoe. He said DEP requires the authority to test at 56 separate residential taps across the PWSA system every three years. The last test was perform ed in 2613. TheTrib reported 2013 test results showed lead levels o f 14.7 parts per billion, just below a federal warning threshold of 15 parts per billion. Friday's plant test indicated lead levels there o f less than 1 part per billion. "It's impossible to re-create the actual situation tha t occurred," Donahoe said, adding that the authority is cooperating with the DEP. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00019 A DEP order requires PWSA to conduct two rounds o f testing fo r lead and copper this year, provide the departm ent w ith all sampling done since June 2013 and supply its customers with periodic notices about the results. PWSA serves 300,000 customers in Pittsburgh and some surrounding municipalities, including Fox Chapel Milivale, Aspinwail and Reserve. The state Departm ent o f Health is m onitoring lead levels in blood samples taken from Pittsburgh-area residents. Departm ent spokesman Neil Shader said PWSA could be fined. "At this time we are not issuing a fine," he said, noting that a departm ent investigation is continuing. "W hether or not we w ill in the future has yet to be determ ined." DEP officials said PWSA changed chemicals because the cost o f soda ash increased and equipm ent used to feed It into the w ater system was not operating properly. They also noted tha t an Allegheny County Health Department inspector checked the water plant in October and knew about the chemical switch but failed to report tha t PWSA was in violation. The health departm ent did not address the allegation in a statement. "The Allegheny County Health Department, as part o f its m onitoring, reviews m onthly operational reports from PWSA," it said. 'The chemicals were both listed on the report and had not changed going back fo r quite some time. Any action that could or should have been taken would have been w ith the DEP and it is to that agency th a t your questions should be addressed," Donahoe, who took over last m onth after form er Executive Director Jim Good resigned, said he was not sure why the switch occurred. " None o f the people who made these decisions work here anymore, so it's hard fo r me to verify why they made them," he said. DEP accepts caustic soda and soda ash as treatments fo r lead but considers the latter more effective because it provides a calcium-like protective coating on the inside of metal pipes to prevent lead from leaching into drinking water. Donahoe said PWSA's perm it allows the use o f caustic soda, but only as a backup. Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-765-2312 or bbauder@tribweb.com fmaiito:bbauder@ tribwebxom). Copyright 2017 -- Trib Total Media. LLC fhttp://tribtotaim edia.com /) (TribUVE.com) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00020 TRIBs 11^111 M iJ J i/home/) | Back (/news/alieghenv/10373761 -74/lead-heaIth-percentl ] Text Size: ****'+ http://triblive.com/news/alleglieny/10373761-74/lead-health-percent W.Pa. doctors call for universal testing of children's lead levels AAROMAUPPERLEE W {https://twittcr,com/TinyNotebook) | Sunday, May IS, 2016, 11:00 p.m, Justin Merriman / Tribune Review Dr. Scott Tyson, right, examines one-year-old Declan Metz of Imperial, as his mother, Kailey Pages holds him as she sits with her mother, Jackie Pages, at Pediatrics South Robinson on Wednesday, May 11, 2016. Dr. Tyson talked with them about testing for lead. Dr. Scott Tyson wants every toddler who passes through his Pediatrics South practice to Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00021 have a blood test tor lead. He first brings up the test with parents at a child's 9-month appointm ent, giving them a slip to take to a lab where a technician will draw blood. He asks parents about the test three months later and another three months after th a t He continues to ask until they get the te s t About one-tenth of 1 percent of the children in his practice, with offices in ML Lebanon, Robinson and Peters, has an elevated level o f lead. But Tyson persists; the risk, however slight, is too high. Testing, Tyson said, Is the best way to prevent and combat the debilitating effects o f lead poisoning later in a child's life. "If can be so devastating, and there are absolutely no signs o f it. W ith early lead exposure, you see a healthy, healthy kid who ju s t develops problems," Tyson said, "Testing is one of those things that should be a no-brainer." The w ater crisis in Flint, Mich,, has shoved concerns about lead back Into the spotlight, and w ith it have come calls fo r universal testing o f lead levels in children, Maryland announced late last year it would adopt universal testing fo r 1- and 2-year-olds. Massachusetts and Rhode Island require universal testing. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom W olf supports universal testing and has been studying proposed legislation to im plem ent it, said his spokesman, Jeff Sheridan. The state Department of Health wants universal testing o f 1- and 2-year-olds, said Dr, Loren Robinson, the state Departm ent o f Health's deputy secretary fo r health prom otion and disease prevention. The Allegheny County Health Departm ent is examining what the county could do if the state does not act. "After w hat happened in Flint, l think people are scared and parents are scared. They want to know tha t the ir chiidren are safe," Robinson said, "We can never really say what our true rates o f elevated blood levels are if we don't test every child." About 25 percent o f 1* and 2-year-olds were tested fo r lead, according to the state Departm ent o f Health's 2014 Childhood Lead Surveillance Annual Report, the most recent report available. But less than 14 percent o f children in the state were tested fo r lead by their 7th birthdays, nearly 3 percent less than 2013, the report stated. About 15 percent o f children under 7 in Allegheny County and 39 percent o f chiidren in Pittsburgh were tested. Eleven percent of children in Westmoreland County were tested for lead, CDC BEGS TO DIFFER The Centers fo r Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy o f Pediatrics, however, do not advocate universal testing. The CDC recommends local health officials determ ine which children are at risk fo r high blood lead levels using local data and test those children, Bernadette Burden, an agency spokeswoman, w rote in a statement. If there is no data, then the CDC recommends universal blood lead testing of 1- and 2-yearolds, focusing on children in older houses and poverty. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00022 Universal testing could overwhelm the health care system, said Dr. Jennifer Lowry, chief o f toxicology at Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, M o,, and chair to the Council on Environmental Health fo r the American Academy o f Pediatrics. A m ajority o f children tested w ill test negative, which Is good, but it could be seen as a waste o f resources, Screening, when done effectively, can identify the at-risk children who should be tested, "Every child should be screened, and if you have at least one 'yes' (answer to a) question, you should be tested," Lowry said, who worried that im proper screening has dropped the num ber o f children tested across the country to dangerously low levels, "We have no idea how many children are poisoned with lead." Pediatricians should ask parents about the age of their homes, the age o f other places -- grandma's house, day care -- where the ir children spent time, to see if there could be lead paint, which was banned in 1978, They should ask if children put non-food items in their mouths, like dirt: o r jew elry tha t could have lead. They should ask about whether the parents work at some jobs in battery and autom otive plants, which can put children at risk, Hobbies such as fishing and pottery can also expose children to lead, Lowry said. Some pediatricians use a finger-prick blood test to screen fo r lead, Lowry said. The test can show the prevalence o f lead in a child's body but can also give a drastically high num ber if the child has lead on his or her hand, Lowry said. WHERE GREATEST RISK LIES Statewide, according to the Department o f Health report, about 9 percent o f children had levels o f 5 micrograms per deciliter or above, the am ount considered elevated by the CDC, which also states that there is no safe level o f lead in children. About 7 percent o f children in Allegheny and Westmoreland counties had lead levels at or above the CDC threshold and 8 percent o f children In Pittsburgh hit or exceeded that mark. While the num ber o f children w ith elevated ievels o f lead in the ir blood has fallen by about 45 percent in the eight years covered by the Departm ent of Health's report, the drop in the num ber o f children tested -- up from the 131,000 tested in 2007 but down from its peak in 2011 of nearly 151,000 to about 140,000 in 20 1 4 -- has health officials worried, "That scares me," Tyson said o f the drop in testing numbers. "It tends to be the urban poor and the rural areas that aren't getting tested, and i think the likelihood is you're going to find the higher risk there," The 2014 lead surveillance report showed that 14 percent o f children in urban areas and 11.5 percent of children in rural areas were tested. About 80 percent o f the children with elevated lead levels lived in urban areas. Lead paint in homes presents the greatest risk to children. As old paint flakes or crumbles, children can ingest it or Inhale dust. Lead was banned in paint in 1978. About 70 percent o f homes in Pennsylvania were built before 1978, ranking the state fifth in the country. Lead can also be present in the ground and the dirt: that children sometimes put in their mouths. Lead poisoning from drinking water, which occurs when lead leaches from pipes and solder, while a concern, does not contribute as much to levels In children. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00023 Tyson said fo r rural areas and among the urban poor, access to remediation services and health care can be scant, "It's kind o f a no-brainer fo r me because we have so many poor patients," said Dr. Hans Kersten, an attending physician at S t Christopher's Hospital fo r Children in north Philadelphia and a professor o f pediatrics at Drexel University, adding he can understand why a doctor in a more affluent part o f town might now screen all children because the risk is iower. "But we realiy don't know unless they screen." MANY GOING UNSCREENED Lead tests are covered by health insurance plans offered under the Affordable Care Act and on the state's exchange. Most private insurance plans cover tests as well. Medicaid and the state's Children's Health Insurance Program cover and recommend lead tests for all children, said Mike Race, a vice president with the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children. About 75 percent o f children on Medicaid and SO percent o f children enrolled in CHIP were tested for lead, according to the 2013 statistics. That's not good enough, Race said. "We don't know how many kids in the state m ight not be getting a Sead screening, but we do know that among the kids In public health insurance programs, there is a significant portion not being screened," Race said. Dr. Karen Hacker, head o f the Allegheny County Health Department, said there could be many reasons why children aren't screened for lead. Some pediatricians m ight decide not to screen based on questions they ask. Some parents might decide not to screen because they don't think there is a risk and they don't want to subject their children to a biood draw, which can be traumatic. Jennifer and Peter Jezowicz did n't hesitate to have their children tested fo r Sead. They had their Ingram house tested and inspected before they moved in, but when Dr. Tyson recommended a screening, they followed through. Neither Kamryn, 2, nor Kinsley, 1, had elevated levels in their blood. And the peace o f mind was w orth the trauma. "They cried," Jennifer Jezowicz said. "You get the beet-red face. You get the screaming. You get the tears, but it's an infant, and 10 minutes later they are fine. You have a bottle ready. You have a snack." Aaron Aupperlee is a Tribune-Review staff w riter. Reach him at 412-320-7986 or aaujsperieejgM b w e jo ^ A change,more screening The Pennsylvania Departm ent of Health analyzed the results of lead tests of children in the service area of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority to see if a decision by the authority to change the chenmicai it uses to control corrosiveness of the w ater changed the num ber o f children with elevated levels of lead in their biood. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00024 PWSA switched from soda ash to caustic soda to control corrosion in April 2014. The state Department o f Health analyzed lead test data from 2013, 2014 and 2015. The analysis turned up nothing significant The num ber o f children with elevated lead levels in their blood those years followed statewide decreasing trends, said Penny ickes, a spokeswoman fo r the departm ent. Less than 8 percent of the children tested in 2013 had lead levels at 5 parts per billion or higher. In 2014 and 2015 it was less than 7 percent But each year, the num ber o f children tested declined. In 2013, 2,643 children were tested, That num ber fell to 2,310 in 2014 and 2,066 in 2015, also m irroring a statewide trend. "In order to adequately identify the risk of exposure for ail children and to understand the degree o f the problem o f lead poisoning in Pennsylvania, there should be a universal testing requirement," Ickes wrote In an emailed statement. The state Departm ent o f Environmental Protection cited PWSA in April for changing its chemicals w ithout following proper procedures. Both are acceptable chemicals to control corrosion, but PWSA's operating perm it specified the use o f soda ash, which it resumed using in January. DEP has stressed the water poses no health risk but has ordered PWSA to complete two rounds o f testing at 50 residential taps to determ ine the levels of lead in the water. The first round o f sampling must be completed byju n e 30 and reported to DEP by July 10, said Neil Shader, a spokesman fo r the departm ent. --Aaron Aupperiee Copyright 2 0 1 7 -- Trib Total Media. LLC i http://tribtotalm ediaxom /1 (TribUVE.com) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00025 iRIEr i/home/l Q 1 Back f/news/adminpage/10484052~74/lead-servite~dooahoe'l | Text Size: --+ http://triblive.com/news/adminpage/104840S2-74/lead--service~donahoe PW SA to start replacing lead service lines when it finds them AARON AUPPERLEE W<hiip5c//twitter.com/TtnyNotebook) j Friday, May 20, 2016,1:03 p,m. Philip G, Paweiy / Tribune-Review FWSA crews make emergency repairs to an 8-inch w ater main on M t Royal Road in Squirrel Hill on March 2, 2016. The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority will test a plan to replace sections of lead service lines as crews find them, beginning in Lawrencevilie next week. The authority also will hire a new chief water quality officer, form a Water Quality Advisory Committee and conduct a corrosion-control study as part o f a larger strategy announced Friday by David Donahoe, the PWSA's Interim executive director. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00026 The authority is responding to public concerns and a state Department o f Environmental Protection citation related to the am ount o f lead in drinking water. Donahoe said he did not know how much the measures w ill cost. "I haven't really costed It out because it needs to be done," Donahoe said. Alex Thomson, PW5A board chair, said he "wholeheartedly" supports the changes Donahoe proposed. The board appointed Donahoe to head the authority in March when form er Executive Director Jim Good resigned, The DEP cited the PWSA last m onth for not inform ing the state it was switching the chemicai it uses to control corrosion in pipes and prevent lead from leeching into the water supply. The most recent lead test results showed tha t PWSAsupplied water had levels below but near the federal threshold o f 15 parts per billion. DEP officials have ordered the PWSA to test fo r lead twice this year, once in June and once in December. Recent DEP tests showed water leaving the PWSA treatm ent plant had no traces o f lead. Lead enters the system as water flows through old pipes. The DEP declined to com ment on the authority's changes. Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto supports the efforts and appreciates Donahoe tackling the issue, Peduto spokesman Tim McNulty wrote in an email to the Tribune-Review. Donahoe, the form er head o f the Allegheny Regional Asset District, came ou t of retirem ent to head the PWSA and said he w o n t be Its perm anent executive director. Thomson said the board hopes to hire a new executive director by the end o f the summer. Donahoe said the new chief water quality officer will provide "checks and balances" for the operation o f the water plant and ensure a safe, clean supply. The position o f director of water quality and production will be split into a director of w ater production and the chief water quality officer. The water quality officer will report directly to Donahoe and the board. The board on Friday approved a revised lead service line replacement policy that requires the PWSA to replace any lead lines it finds while replacing or repairing pipes up to the curb box o r property line. From there, the property owner is responsible fo r the line to the house, business or other structure. The authority will work w ith homeowners to review options for replacing the rest o f the service line, installing filters or taking other action. Donahoe said replacing service lines or installing filters is often much less expensive for homeowners if it's done when the PWSA is responsible fo r tearing up and replacing streets and sidewalks. The authority will work w ith social service agencies and philanthropic organizations to find ways to help people pay fo r service line replacement. The authority will collect sections o f old lead pipes and run water treated w ith different chemicals --soda ash, which it uses now; caustic soda, which it switched to in April 2014 w ithout prior DEP approval; and phosphates and silicates -- to determine w hat works best to control corrosion. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00027 Donahoe expects to present the members o f the Water Quality Advisory Committee to the board next month. It will be made up o f representatives from the Allegheny County Health Department, PEP, universities, technical consultants, plum bing and public health experts and a member o f the authority's board. The authority also will work w ith schools and other institutions to develop lead testing programs. Aaron Aupperiee is a Tribune-Review staff w riter. Reach him at 412*320*7986 or aaupperlee@fribweb.coni (mailto:aaupperlee@trtbweb.CQml Copyright 2017 -- Trib Total Media. LLC fhttpi//fribtotaim edia.com /) (TribUVE.com) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00028 TRIo 5 T P 1IPll 11P1I muhomsft I Back f/news/adminpage/10721662-74/pwsa-customers-leach j Text Size: --+ http://tribfive.com/news/adminpage/10721862-74/pwsa-customers~lead More than half of Pittsburgh water sam ples had ito lead but 5 % at or above fed limit BOBBAUOER W (httpsV/twitter.com'BobBaudcr) j Friday, July 1, 2016, 2:24 p.m. Test results from nearly 400 water samples taken from homes o f Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority customers show 5 percent contained lead levels at or above the federally accepted m inim um while more than half contained none, an authority official said Friday. David Donahoe, PWSA's interim executive director, said the authority has tested 393 samples subm itted by customers fo r free testing since early this year. Twenty o f those samples -- S percent -- had lead levels at or above the federally accepted m inim um of 15 parts per billion {ppb). The highest test resuit was 60 ppb, he said. More than half of the samples contained no signs o f lead, 18 percent contained 1 to 5 ppb, 13 percent had 5.1 to 9.9 ppb and 6 percent were at 10 to 14.9 ppb, Donahoe said. PWSA has notified the customers o f their results and is testing lead pipes to find the most effective way of preventing contamination through chemicals added to water. 'Those customers have been counseled about what they can d o /' Donahoe said, adding that the best thing fo r residents to do Is to replace aging w ater pipes. PWSA has no lead pipes, Donahoe said, so the financial responsibility fo r line improvements falls on customers. Donahoe, who was joined by Mayor Bill Peduto, briefed reporters about steps PWSA is taking to address w ater quality and chronic billing and customer service problems. Lead levels have increased from 2 ppb in 1999 to 14.7 ppb in 2013, according to the most recent testing information. Peduto called the increase unacceptable and said the city would work to help homeowners. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00029 "W hat you're seeing is an antiquated, over 100-year-old system th a t's beginning to show its age/' he said. "When we find out the magnitude o f the problem, we will create programs." Billing problems have plagued PWSA since 2014, when it installed new electronic meter readers that did not communicate accurately with meters In homes and businesses, resulting in neariy 50,000 inaccurate bills. Customers were not billed for months and complained bitterly about iater receiving bills that sometimes amounted to thousands o f dollars. The PWSA call center was overwhelmed w ith complaints. Donahoe said the authority overhauled its billing and customer service departments and has been billing correctly for the past three months. The authority is perm itting customers to pay o ff bills through installments. PWSA missteps have compounded the problems. Pennsylvania Departm ent o f Environmental Protection cited PWSA in April fo r not inform ing the state it switched the chemical used to prevent lead from leaching Into Its water. The state required PWSA to do system-wide testing, which It ju s t completed. Samples have been sent for laboratory testing. In its annual w ater quality report released June 1, the authority noted that it violated ERA regulations in 2015. PWSA failed to test a required 12 samples o f drinking water for a m andatory disinfectant because samples broke on the way to a testing lab. ERA required PWSA to notify customers o f the violation. "All in ail, there's been significant progress made," Donahoe said. "I do not want to put up the sign 'Mission Accomplished' --because it's not over yet." Bob Bauder Is a Tribune-Review staff w riter. Reach him at 412-7SS-2312.com fhttp://412Z 5 5 iB l2 xo Q T ]. Copyright 2017 -- Trib Total Media. LLC i http://tribtotaim edia.com /l {TribUVE.com} Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00030 TRIBs I in i ^i/taie/) | B fldiiZD fim sM egb m f/lii5 6 3Q65 =74/p^3-aui bMty=Eeport) | Text Size: - + http ://trib live .co m /n e w s/a lle g h e n y/1 0 5 6 3 0 6 5 -7 4 /p w sa -a u th o rity-re p o rt Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority flubs federal testing requirement AARON AUPPERLEE i# {https://twittcr.cQrn/TinyNotcbook) | Wednesday, June 1, 2Q1S, 11:0G p,m. Water sample bottles tha t broke en route to a testing lab caused the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority to violate federal testing requirements last year, according to the authority's water quality report published online Wednesday, PWSA now collects double the samples required to avoid such violations, said Brendan Schubert a spokesman for the authority. The w ater authority did not test the required 12 samples o f water fo r haloacetic adds during the fourth quarter o f last year. "We failed to ensure all 12 sites were collected and reported and therefore cannot be sure of the quality of our drinking water during that time," the report stated. The report stated there is no emergency and nothing customers need to do, Haloacetic acids form when chlorine used to disinfect drinking water reacts with organic materials in the water. People who drink water with high amounts o f haloacetic add over several years might have an increased risk o f cancer, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. "(Haloacetic adds) are seen in elevated levels in highly agricultural areas," Schubert wrote in an email to the Tribune-Review. "Historically, the Allegheny River has produced low levels of (them) for us here in Pittsburgh." The EPA lim it fo r haloacetic adds in drinking water is 60 parts per billion. PWSA's 2015 water quality report listed haloacetic add levels at 21, w ithin the federal requirements. The water authority violated the EPA's m onitoring requirements, not the contam inant levels, Schubert said. The EPA required PWSA to notify customers o f the violation, which it did more than six months later on the final page o f the authority's nine-page w ater quality report. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00031 Two o f the 12 samples broke en route to ALS Environmental lab In North Franklin, Washington County, according to the report and Schubert, ALS did not tel! PWSA the bottles broke, and PWSA did no t recollect the samples. The ALS lab In North Franklin directed calls to a lab in Middletown. The lab director in Middletown did not return calls, PWSA now collects double the samples and communicates w ith the lab on all samples for regulatory compliance, Schubert said. PWSA was not fined because o f the violation. The Pennsylvania Departm ent o f Environmental Protection cited PWSA in April fo r not Informing the state it was switching the chemical it uses to control corrosion in pipes and prevent lead from leeching Into the water supply. The state, in part, required PWSA to complete more thorough testing o f lead in its water. The results o f those tests are not included in the online report. That report uses 2013 tests, the most recent available, which show a lead level o f 14,8 parts per billion, just below the federal threshold o f 1S parts per billion. Past reports from the 2013 tests have shown lead levels o f 14,7 parts per billion. The actual results show levels o f 14.77 parts per billion, and regulators asked PWSA to round up this year, Schubert said, Aaron Aupperlee is a Tribune-Review staff w riter, Reach him at 412-320-7986 or aaupperlee@tribweb.com fmailtoiaaiioperlee@ tribweb.coml Copyright 2017 -- Trib Total Media. LLC i http://tribtotaim ediaxom /1 (TribUVExom) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00032 TDIR>" --I 1 B a ^ i/o m sM Lsijto | Text Size; -- + http://triblivexom /new s/a!!egheny/10762015~74/bott!e!eadtest Newrsimpler water test to detect lead draws accuracy questions AAKON AUPPERLEE W (IittpsPAwister-comiTbyNosebook) | Saturday, July 9, 2016, 9:48 a.m. Justin Merrim an / Tribune Review "If you only do a one-bottle test, and it turns out high, you don't know where the problem is," Michael Coblenz of Squirrel Hill said, Coblenz had the pipes replaced and is hoping the next test returns with negative results for lead in the water. Michael Coblenz made a mistake the first time he tested his Squirrel Hill home fo r lead. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00033 Coblenz, concerned about the effects o f lead on his 3-year-old child, requested a test kit in January, and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer A uthority sent him one w ith fo u r bottles. He let his w ater sit for six to 10 hours and filled bottle one right after turning on the tap. The instructions told him to fill bottle two immediately after filling bottle one. Before filling bottle three, he had to run the w ater until he noticed a change In its temperature and then let the water run fo r at least two minutes more. This is where Coblenz, 33, a Carnegie Mellon University student pursuing a Ph.D. in com puter science, ran into trouble. "I waited tw o minutes, and l didn't know if it was cold enough," he said. Coblenz filled the third bottle, tested the w ater tem perature w ith a kitchen therm om eter and dumped it when he thought it wasn't cold enough. He let the w ater run until the tem perature changed and refilled bottle No. 3. Then, he let the water run for another three minutes and filled the fourth bottle, following PWSA's instructions. "I could see how an easier test could be useful," Coblenz said. PWSA agrees. The water authority abandoned the four-bottle test that tripped up Coblenz and switched, first to a tw o-bottle test and then to a one-bottle test by March, said Brendan Schubert, a PWSA spokesman. The one-bottle test used by PWSA now asks customers to not use their w ater for six to 10 hours and then take a sample from the tap immediately after turning it on. That's it -- one bottle, one sample. W ater-quality researchers w orry that cutting the num ber o f samples in each test wilt cut the am ount o f inform ation gathered. Marc Edwards, a Virginia Tech researcher that probed Flint's water, said that while the federal Lead and Copper Rule, which limits the am ount o f lead and copper allowed In the water, requires testing w ith only one bottle, proposed revisions to the rule call for two bottles. "Many other cities are adding a second bottle now, because th a t is how you identify a water lead problem coming from the lead service line," Edwards w rote in an email to the Tribune-Review. "The net effect o f sampling one bottle instead o f two or fo u r is to dramatically reduce the likelihood of identifying le a d ...." Schubert said PWSA worked w ith the Allegheny County Health Departm ent and other regulators on the one-bottle test. He said PWSA hopes the simpler test w ill decrease confusion and errors by customers and return results in a more timely manner. Requests fo r the test kits spiked from 2S to SO per year to more than 400 in tw o months at the beginning of 2016 after the Tribune-Review reported lead levels in homes in the authority's service area were approaching federal limits. The Environmental Protection Agency sets a threshold at 15 parts per billion. PWSA tests in 2013, the most recent data available, found lead levels at 14.7 parts per billion. PWSA on July 1 released recent water samples from nearly 400 homes tha t showed more than half w ith no detectable levels o f lead and 5 percent at o r above the federal limit. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00034 Lead isn't in the water when it leaves PWSA's treatm ent p la n t and the authority has no lead pipes in its system. Lead leaches into the water when it passes through lead service mains or over lead solder inside homes. Partha Basu, a researcher at Duquesne University, said two or fou r samples taken at different times can show where the lead may be coming from . A first draw tests the water sitting in the faucet. Letting the water run can test water in the internal plumbing, the lead service line and main service pipes. "The more inform ation we get is always better/' Basu said. Coblenz is tom about which test is better. The one-bottle test, which PWSA sent him recently to retest his water, is certainly easier. The four-bottle test, however, gave him more information. The first two bottles from Coblenz's first test showed lead levels of 13 parts per billion. The third, salvaged by the lab despite his mistake, showed a lead level o f 62 parts per billion. The fourth showed 8 parts per billion. "if you only do a one-bottle test, and it turns ou t high, you don't know where the problem is," Coblenz said. "If we had done a one-bottle test, It would have been 13 and that would be the end o f story." It wasn't the end of the story fo r Coblenz, He tested his water twice more and decided to replace his lead service line and install a w ater filter. The service line w ork cost him $4,500 and the filte r cost him $80, PWSA recently sent him a one-bottle test kit to follow up. He hasn't gotten around to completing the tests but expects the numbers to be very low. Aaron Aupperlee is a Tribune-Review staff w riter. Reach him at 412-32G-79BS or aauppM e jg M n b w eb,m m j ^ ^ Copyright @ 2017--Trib Total Media. LLC fhttp://tribtotalm edia.com /i (TribLIVExom) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00035 Q | B,acki/news/a.dminpage/1078132Q-74/lead"threshQld-biHion) j Text Size: ***-+ h ttp ://trib live .co m /n e w s/a d m in p a g e /1 0 7 8 l3 2 0 -7 4 /le a d ~ th re sh o ld -b sliio si Lead levels in PW 5A drinking water samples exceed ERA threshold AAKOM AUPPERLEE W (IiSipsTiwisscr.com/TinyMotcbook) | TuesdayJuly 12, 2016, 2:54 p.m, Drinking water lead levels in Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority's service area exceeded a key federal regulatory threshold, the authority reported Tuesday. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00036 Seventeen o f the 100 w ater samples voluntarily collected from homes in May and June had lead levels greater than 15 parts per billion, a lim it set by the Environmental Protection Agency. PWSA's 90th percentile result, which will be reported to the EPA and included in annual water quality reports, was 22 parts per billion. PWSA will have to notify customers of the test results, develop educational materials about the dangers o f lead and how to make sure water is safe, test different methods o f controlling lead corrosion and replace lead service lines It maintains. The Pennsylvania Department o f Environmental Protection will oversee the work required o f PWSA. "This is a serious concern, and DEP w ill be working w ith PWSA to inform and educate consumers o f the risks o f lead in drinking water, and find solutions to reduce the lead levels in the water," acting DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said in a release. 'The top priority is to return the system to below the action level as quickly as possible." Pennsylvania DEP 1111 @PennsylvaniaDEP j Follow l L_---------- --J NEWSROOM UPDATE: DEP Will Require PWSA to Implement Measures to Address Lead in Drinking Water bit.y/29Bj6LF 3:12 PM 12 Jul 2018 Pennsylvania, USA 5 4 David Donahoe, Interim executive director o f PWSA, said the test results do not mean that the authority has violated federal regulations regarding lead levels. "It does trigger other requirements," Donahoe said during a news conference. "This inform ation does confirm that where lead service lines exist there is a slightly higher percentage o f incidents o f additional lead in the water." Aaron Aupperlee @linynotebook | Follow ! L-- --------- J LIVE on #Periscope: PWSA press conference on lead tests above federal threshold @triblive periscope.Iv/w/alPtSzY40DU1... 3:38 PM - 12 Jul 2016 Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00037 ite l s w w ^ E L ID E D 3E4 Vfewt*re Aaron Auppertee fgtinynotebook PWSA press conference on lead tests above federal threshold ggtribiive periscope,tv 4 3 PGH Water & Sewer @pgh2o j Follow ] i-----------------i PWSA 2018 LEAD TEST RESULTS bitJy/29Fhlvu and the latest Water Quality Status Report Update bit,ly/29vfvds 2:55 PM -1 2 JuS 2016 1 2 Donahoe encouraged anyone in PWSA's service area who doesn't know if they have lead plumbing or lead in their w ater to have the ir water tested. PWSA provides tests to customers at no charge. Five percent o f neariy 400 customers who have requested tests have shown results above 15 parts per billion. Donahoe said iead levels have concerned him since he started at PWSA in March. In May, he directed the autho rity's board o f directors to take steps to reduce lead in the water. Some of the steps - including testing various anti-corrosion chemicals to keep lead from leaching from pipes - will now be required. The DEP w ill also require PWSA to identify all lead service lines the authority owns and begin a program to replace at least 7 percent o f the lines each year. Donahoe said the authority doesn't know the extent o f the lead service lines and is conducting a survey to identify them. Alex Thomson, chairman o f PWSA's board, did not return calls fo r comment. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00038 "These results were expected, and the PWSA is already at w ork addressing the issues and communicating with residents, as the DEP has requested," Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said in email to the Trib, "Ail this means is the authority has to follow some actions to address lead, which it is already doing," PWSA will conduct another round o f testing in December because the Pennsylvania Department o f Environmental Protection cited the authority in April for changing anticorrosion chemicals without following proper procedures, Recent DEP tests showed water leaving the PWSA treatm ent plant had no trace o f lead. Lead enters the system as water flows through old lead pipes o r pipes with soldering that contains lead, S P W SA lsd SempSe SHe Plan in GIS ` iron Aupperlee * @tinynotebook | Follow \ I----- ------------ / Map showing where @pgh2o collected water samples for the latest lead tests. My story --> triblive.com/news/adminpage,,. 5:50 PM - 12 Jul 2016 3 2 The EPA requires w ater providers to test fo r lead levels in water every three years, if 10 percent o f all the samples test above 15 parts per billion, the water providers m ust take additional action. PWSA's 90th percentile results have crept up in the last 15 years, in 2001, the tests showed a level of 6 parts per billion. By 2013, tha t level had risen to 14.8 parts per billion. The results of the 2016 testing were highly anticipated after the 2013 were just below the 15 parts per billion threshold, which increased scrutiny o f lead in public drinking water in the wake o f the crisis in Flint, Mich. Sample results Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00039 PWSA collected 100 voluntary water samples From homes suspected o f having lead service lines or plum bing in May and June. Those tests were sent to an independent lab fo r review. Of the 100 tests: * 45 had non-detectable levels o f lead 1115 were between 2.1 and 4.6 parts per billion {ppb) * 7 were between 5 and 9.8 ppb * 16 were between 10 and 14 ppb 8 were between 18 and 19 ppb * 7 were between 22 and 38 ppb * 4 were between 50 and 75 ppb Copyright 2017 -- Trib Total Media. LLC fhttp,7/tribfcotaIniedia.com/i nribLiVE.com) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00040 TRIB Ji/horne/1 1 Back f/news/alleghenv/10822635-74/aspinwalj-drink-authoritv1 J Text Size: TM+ http://tribS!ve,corrs/news/allegheny/10822635-74/aspinwal!-dr!nk*authority Brown water safe to d rin lrPittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority tells Aspinwall SOB BAUDEM V (hups://twittcr,com/BobBaudcr) J Thursday, July 21, 2016,11:4Q p.m. Aspinwall residents say they've complained for weeks about tap water from the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority that's developed a brownish tint. PWSA is replacing filtering beds at its w ater treatm ent plant near Aspinwall and blamed the discoloration on elevated levels of non-hazardous manganese passing through new filters. The authority issued a statement saying it is "fine tuning" the filters and using chlorine to reduce manganese levels in w ater it gets from the Allegheny Riven "Once the right balance is achieved, the discoloration will dissipate," spokeswoman Rachel Ramps said. The sooner the better, Aspinwall residents said. "I buy my water for the kids to drink," said Sydnie Bryant, 42. "We don't drink the water, but you're still taking a shower in it." Manganese Is a mineral th a t occurs naturally in groundwater. The Environmental Protection Agency does not consider it a health hazard, according to the agency website. Levels exceeding 0.05 milligrams per liter o f water can produce black to brown discoloration and a bitter, metallic taste, according to the ERA. Pennsylvania Department o f Environmental Protection spokesman John Poister said the mineral is common in Western Pennsylvania tap water. "The w ater is safe to drink," Poister said, adding that he sometimes experiences the problem at his home in Sewickiey, "It just doesn't look good." He said the DEP has received no complaints about Aspinwall tap water. Neither has the Allegheny County Health Department, spokeswoman Melissa Wade said. Aspinwall Manager Melissa Lang O'Malley said about 40 residents from across the borough have called her office over several weeks. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00041 Borough officials plan o meet with PWSA in an attem pt to determ ine the cause, she said. Vicki Cavanaugh, 73, said she notices the discoloration appears sporadically in her bathtub and toilets. "It's very fight brown," she said, " it's not dark, but it's yuck," Her husband, jim , 73, said he's a little concerned because he drinks tap w ater daily. "I have faith In the borough and the water authority," he said. "At no tim e have they said don't drink it " Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff w riter. Reach him at 412-765-2312 or bbauder@tribweb.com IrnailtodibauderPtribweb.com l Copyright 2017 ---Trib Total Media, LLC fhttp://tribtotalmedia.com /1 {TribLiVEcom} Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00042 TRIB 8 | Back {/news/adminpage/10861114-74/director-executive-university) | Text Size: ****+ http://trib liv e .e o m /n e w s /a d m in p a g e /1 0 8 6 1 1 1 4-74/d irector-executlve-university PW SA hires new executive director BOB SADDER SA (https://twiticr.com/BobBauder) | Wednesday, July 27, 2016, 4:33 p.m. The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority board of directors on Wednesday voted unanimously to hire a county adm inistrator from Virginia with experience in w ater and sewer management as executive director at an annual salary o f $190,000. Kenneth Charles Griffin w ill replace form er Executive Di'rector jim Good, who resigned in March amid mounting complaints from customers about inaccurate billing and poor service, PWSA interim Executive Director David Donahoe and board members declined to identify Griffin's current employer immediately after the vote, saying only th a t he serves in a "public sector high level position." The website for King William County, Va., identifies Griffin as its adm inistrator in charge of daily county operations, it's about 35 miles northeast of Richmond and has a population o f 16,354. Griffin could not be reached fo r comment, Griffin's start date at PWSA has no t been determined. Donahoe said he would remain until Griffin arrives and assist on a volunteer basis with transition. Board members cited Griffin's experience in w ater and sewer systems and a positive, problem-solving attitude as the reason they chose him from among 1S initial candidates. "He has extensive experience in this business, both in water and waste water systems," Donahoe said. "He has a really strong educational background, but m ost of all, he had this positive attitude about getting problems solved." Griffin is a professional engineer and has served as director o f operations and management for public utilities in Hillsborough County, Fla., and as executive director of the Pearl River Valley Water Supply District in Jackson, Miss., according to PWSA. He has a bachelor's degree from the University o f California, Irvine, master's degrees from Cornell University and the University of Southern California and a doctorate from the University o f Mississippi. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00043 A PWSA search committee including Donahoe, board Chairman Alex Thompson and members Paul Leger and Karen Giotfefty recommended Griffin's hiring after interviewing three finalists. He w ill earn $50/000 less than Good, whose salary was $240,000. "We thought that was the best salary fo r the size o f this operation," Leger said. PWSA supplies w ater and sewer services to more than 300,000 customers in Pittsburgh and the surrounding region. Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff w riter. Reach him at 412-765-2312. Copyright 2017--* Trib Total Media. LLC fhttp://tribtotainnedia.com /l (TribUVE.com) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00044 t r ib " I Back C/news/alleghenv/10868163-74/griffjn-board-pwsal | Text Size: -- + http://tribIive.eom /news/ailegheny/10863163-74/griffinboard~pwsa Questions sw irl over new PW Sft director's firing from previous job BOB BUDER W (hps://twitterxom/BobBauder} | Thursday, July 28, 2016, 8:03 p.m, h ttp://kin gw ffliam ca unty.u s / K. Charles Griffin The newly hired head o f the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority told officials that he resigned from a similar jo b in South Carolina, but a docum ent from his previous employer indicates he was fired. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00045 Minutes from a meeting Jan, 25, 2013, o f the Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority board o f directors say the board unanimously voted to term inate the em ploym ent o f K, Charles Griffin, who served as the authority's general manager. The minutes are posted on the authority's website, They don't provide a reason fo r the dismissal. Local newspaper accounts said the board gave no explanation fo r its action, Aliena Lee-Brown, human resources manager fo r the authority based in Okatie, $.,, said she was not perm itted to release inform ation about form er employees, The PW5A board on Wednesday voted unanimously to hire Griffin at a yearly salary of $190,000, He currently is county adm inistrator for King William County, Va., near Richmond, Griffin did not return several phone messages seeking comment. PW5A interim Executive David Donahoe said he learned o f the conflicting accounts Thursday m orning and spoke w ith Griffin several times. He said Griffin assured him that he resigned from the South Carolina authority. Donahoe said Griffin never mentioned the firing in interviews, and It did not turn up in reference and background checks. "The board had reference checks done," Donahoe said, "They did a full background check. Ail o f that stuff cleared," Donahoe said he didn't know why meeting minutes or newspaper stories available via an Internet search w ouldn't show up in a background check. He couldn't immediately name the company retained by PWSA's Human Resources Department to do the work, "Obviously, this was not included," he said, "I'm not sure why that is," Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto issued a statem ent demanding full accountability from the PW5A board about the vetting and hiring of Griffin. "If there are any errors or inconsistencies, the public deserves immediate and full disclosure from the board and (Griffin), including a complete and detailed explanation of the circumstances regarding any possible error or omission," Peduto said, Pittsburgh City Counciiwoman Deb Gross o f Highland Park, who is on the PWSA board, also said she was unaware of Griffin's firing. She said G riffin's resume indicates he is a licensed engineer w ith extensive experience in water and sewer systems, The resume includes his job at the Beaufort-Jasper Water & Sewer Authority, where he worked from 2011-13, according to the resume, "We fe lt tha t was a good combination," Gross said, "We live on a daily basis with infrastructure problems and repairs." Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff w riter, Reach him at 412-785-2312 or bbauder@tribweb.com (maiItoibbauder@ tribweb.coml Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00046 Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00047 LU (/home/) I K lD z i | Back f/news/adm inpage/t 0893542TM/griffin-authority-board) | Text Size; *****+ http://triblsve,com/news/adminpage/1G893542-74/grifTin-authonty-board New PW SA director withdraws amid questions over his resume BOBBAUDER W(https://{\vi{{cr.convBobBaudcr) | Tuesday, Aug. 2, 2016, 9:27 a.m. http://kmgwilHamcounty.us/ K. Charles Griffin The Pittsburgh W ater & Sewer Authority has fo u r weeks to find an executive director now that its firs t choice has withdrawn amid questions about his firing from a similar jo b In South Carolina. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00048 The board o f directors fast week voted to hire K. Charles Griffin, but Griffin gave notice Monday in a one-sentence email before starting work. It gives the board little time to find a replacement because interim Executive Director David Donahoe is scheduled to leave Aug. 31. Mayor Bill Peduto on Tuesday called G riffin's hiring a "mistake." "There really is no reason why something like that couldn't be found when a simple Google check would have brought it up," the mayor said, "i try not to interfere with (Pittsburgh) authorities ... but when mistakes like this happen, we have to be Involved." Griffin has not returned messages seeking com m ent PWSA board members are appointed by the mayor but operate separately from city government. Peduto said he has asked the board to draw from the remaining pool o f tw o finalists to find a candidate for the position. "There are other good candidates tha t were also looked at," Peduto said. "I've asked the board to pursue those Instead o f doing another search. Hopefully, we can get a director in place sometime soon." PWSA paid Downtown-based KlinkCheck Inc. $388 to perform background checks, according to PWSA spokesman Brendan Schubert. A woman who answered the phone at KlinkCheck headquarters said no one was available to comment. "Obviously, there's going to be a lot more background checks that will be in place," Peduto said about future hiring at PWSA. PWSA issued a statem ent saying it is "evaluating options," bu t board members reached by the Tribune-Review said they are unsure how the search m ight proceed. Board Chairman Alex Thomson, an attorney at Downtown law firm Houston Harbaugh, deciined to com m ent late Tuesday. Earlier in the day, a receptionist at the firm's headquarters in 3 Gateway Center said Thomson was out o f the office and not available. "We definitely need leadership to maintain the level of services we're providing," said Pittsburgh City Councslwoman Deb Gross o f Highland Park, a PWSA board member. Board Treasurer Paul Leger, the city finance director, said PWSA will not pay Griffin a severance or settlement because he had not started, PWSA directors July 27 voted unanimously to hire Griffin at a yearly salary o f $190,000, He is county adm inistrator For King William County, Va., near Richmond. Questions about his background arose a day after his hiring. Public documents showed he was fired from a similar post in South Carolina. Griffin told PWSA officials he had resigned. Online minutes from a meeting Jan. 25,2013, of the Beauforb-jasper Water and Sewer A uthority board o f directors say the board voted unanimously to terminate the em ploym ent of Griffin, who served as the authority's general manager. Local newspaper accounts said the board gave no explanation fo r Its action. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00049 Donahoe said Iasi weak that Griffin did not mention the firing during interviews, and it did not turn up in reference and background checks. Bob Bauder is a staff w riter fo r Trib Total Media. He can be reached at 412-765-2312 or bfaauder@tnbweb.com im ailtoibbauder@ fribweb.coml Copyright > 2017 -- Trib Total Media. LLC i http://tribtotalm edia.com /) (TribliVE.com) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00050 B iJJlZboil&e/l = S | Back (/new s/alleghenv/t10131 B4-74/authoritv-board-director1 j Text Size: --+ http://triblive.eom/news/aIIegheny/11013134-74/authority-board-director PW SA wants to pick interim director soon BG8BAUDER W (htips://twittcr,com/BobBautler) j Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016, 11:00 p.m. The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer A uthority Is planning to name an interim executive director next week, an authority official said. Alex Thomson, who chairs the PWSA board o f directors, said members have yet to find a perm anent replacement fo r Jim Good, who resigned in March. He said the board likely will meet Sept. 1 to hire another interim director. It would mark the second time since Good's resignation tha t the board has appointed someone to lead the authority on a tem porary basis. David Donahoe, who has served as acting director, is leaving Aug. 31 because of a prior com m itm en t. The board on July 27 voted to hire K, Charles Griffin, county adm inistrator fo r King William County, Va., near Richmond, at a yearly salary o f $190,000. Griffin w ithdrew after questions arose one day later about his firing from a similar post in South Carolina. PWSA officials said Griffin told them he resigned as director o f the Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority, but online meeting minutes from the authority's website indicate he was term inated in 2013 w ithout explanation. Mayor Bill Peduto at the tim e called Griffin's hiring a mistake and urged the board to consider the other two finalists for the position. PWSA spokesman Brendan Schubert said the board is doing that and "talking to other people" about the job. PWSA supplies water and sewer services to more than 300,000 customers in Pittsburgh and the surrounding region. Bob Bauder Is a Tribune-Review staff w riter. Reach him at 412-765-2312 or bbauderiajtribweb.com (mailto:bbauder@tribweb.com1. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00051 Copyright 2017-- In lg ta LMedia, LLC(htto://tribtotafmprtia.rnm/i (TribLIVE.com) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00052 LftJ i/hoiT&e/) I Back f/news/ailegheny/11Q57698-74/fead~iines-pwsa) | Text Size: " 4* h ttp ://trib liv e .e o m /n e w s /a lIe g h e n y /1 1 0S7698~74/!eadMines~pwsa PW S, stale officials tackle lead levels in Pittsburgharea water JASON CATO y {https://twitter.com/Jac412Cato) | Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016 10:45 p.rrt. Stephanie Strasburg j Tribune-Review Acting Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) Secretary Patrick McDonnell speaks to the media at the DEP Southwest Regional Office in Washington's Landing on Wednesday, Aug. 31, 2016. Local and state officials hope to have a better idea by year's end about which homes in Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority's service area have high levels of lead, the head of the Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00053 Pennsylvania Departm ent of tnvironm enta! Protection said Wednesday. Then they hope to develop a plan to deal with the problem. "Obviously, there's a lot o f w ork to do there," acting DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell said. The prim ary objectives are identifying lines that leach excessive lead and coming up with a way to cover the cost o f replacing those lines -- an expense tha t can average $3,000 to $5,000 and falls on homeowners, McDonnell said. In May and June, PWSA voluntarily collected 100 water samples from homes in its service area and found 17 th a t had lead levels greater than 15 parts per billion, a threshold set by the Environmental Protection Agency, The EPA requires w ater providers to test w ater fo r lead every three years, if 10 percent of the samples test above 15 parts per billion, the water providers must take additional action. The authority plans to conduct another 100 water samples in December, spokesman Brendan Schubert said. "We have been very open tha t we don't know where all o f ou r lead service lines are and how much this is going to cost," Schubert said. "We are actively working to identify those lines and are coming up w ith a demonstration project in the fail to locate the lines." PWSA supplies w ater and sewer services to more than 300,000 customers in Pittsburgh and the surrounding region. The authority provides lead tests to customers at no charge. PWSA is working to notify customers and develop educational materials about the dangers o f lead and how to make sure water is safe, it is testing methods o f controlling lead corrosion and replacing lead service lines it maintains. DEP is overseeing the process, "They've been cooperative throughout," McDonnell said. None o f the lead contamination is coming from the PWSA plant, he said. Lead enters the system as w ater flows through old lead pipes or pipes with soldering that contains lead, he said. PWSA's 90th percentile results have increased over the past 15 years -- from 6 parts per billion in 2001 to 14.8 in 2013 and 22 parts per billion in 2018. DEP officials want PWSA to map its system to identify trouble areas. "Right now, they cannot tell us where all their lead distribution lines are," DEP spokesman John Poister said. "Once they know that, w e ll have a better handle on who and how many customers are affected." With lead levels where they are, PWSA is tasked w ith persuading 7 percent o f customers to voluntarily replace lead-laden lines each year. There is no state or federal funding to help cover those costs, McDonnell said. "We don't have a solution at this point for how to replace the service lines," he said. Jason Cato is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-320-7938 or j cato@tribweb.com fmailto:jcato@ tribweb.comi Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00054 Copyright 2017 -- M M o t a lMadia, LLC rhttp://tribtotalmeriia.com/l {TribUVE.com} Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00055 TRIB ^i/home/l I Baci/Dgws/Miegh.eri y/1J^64286r74/di.rectQr"rindstrom-army1 j Text Size; ******+ http://triblive.eom/news/ajlegheny/11064286-74/drector-lindstrom-army PW SA hires retiring Arm y Corps colonel as interim director BOB BAUBEIt W (https://nvittcr.com/BobBaudcr) | Thursday, Sept. 1, 2016, 10:00 a.m. Bernard R, Llndstrom was named Thursday, Sept. 1,2016, as the interim executive director of the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority. The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer A uthority on Thursday hired a decorated U.S. Army veteran who headed the Corps of Engineers' Pittsburgh District as interim executive director. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00056 Col. Bernard lindstrom , 48, o f Upper St. Clair w ill start on Sept. 12 after mustering out o f the Army following a 25~year career. PWSA's board o f directors unanimously approved a six-month contract with Lindstrom at a salary o f $16,667 per month. Director Deb Gross, a Pittsburgh city councilwoman, abstained, saying she hasn't had a chance to meet and speak to Lindstrom, "We think the combination o f his experience, management side, as well as his technical experience in dealing with the issues that ou r waterways face w ill suit him well to serve in this position," said Alex Thomson, who chairs the board. Members appointed Robert Weimer, PWSA's acting director o f engineering and construction, to serve as acting executive director with no salary increase until Lindstrom arrives. PWSA has been w ithout a perm anent leader since Jim Good resigned in March. David Donaboe, form er director o f the Allegheny County Regional Asset District, had served as interim director since then. Donahoe stepped down on Wednesday because of a prior co m m itm e n t. Directors voted in late July to appoint K. Charles Griffin, a county adm inistrator in Virginia, as executive director, but he w ithdrew after questions surfaced about his term ination from a similar position in South Carolina. Griffin told PWSA he resigned from the Beaufort-Jasper Water and Sewer Authority, but online authority meeting minutes the Tribune-Review found through an Internet search indicated he was fired. PWSA Director Paul Leger, who also serves as Pittsburgh's finance director, said he personally searched the Internet for information about Lindstrom. "I Googled him 10 pages deep," Leger said. Thompson said the board intends to name a permanent director by April through a "robust and full search." He said Mayor Bill Peduto's office recommended Lindstrom and the board chose him after conducting an evaluation. "We did a much more detailed background search on Mr. Lindstrom than we did on Dr, Griffin," he said, "We certainly want to learn from Dr. Griffin's process, and w e ll hopefully take those lessons and apply them to this next (search fo r a permanent director}." He said Lindstrom, who was not avai lable, expressed interest in the job. "O ur hope and expectation is he will (apply)," Thomson said. "We think his qualifications would suit him well as the perm anent executive director." in a separate, related development Peduto announced he Is creating a com m ittee to study PWSA and recommend solutions to "critical issues" including customer service, billing, flood control and stormwater management, Lindstrom's Army career stretched from the Middle East to Pittsburgh. His m ilitary awards includes a Bronze Star medal awarded by the Army for heroic or meritorious service or ach ie ve m e n t Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00057 He was born in Monroeville and moved at a young age to Fayette County. He is a graduate o f Connellsville High School and has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Mercer University and master's degrees in business adm inistration and strategic studies from Benedictine College and the 11$. Arm y War College, respectively. In addition to overseeing 32B miles of navigable waterways in the Pittsburgh District, he's beaded the Army Corps' Civil Works division in Washington, and the Nashville, Tenn,, district. He's served as chief o f plans and operations for United States Forces in Korea and led engineering teams in various posts across the globe, including Iraq and Romania, Copyright 2017 -- TribTotai Media. LLC (http://tribtotaIm edia.com /) {TribLIVE.com) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00058 H J i/tiom s/) SSSSSS3SS I Back C/news/alleghenv/n 144136-74/pwsa-lindstrom-armyl j Text Size: --+ h ttp ://trib liv e .e o m /n e w s /a lle g h e n y /1 1 1 4 4 1 36-74/pwsalindstrom arm y PW S1 leader prepared to tackle troubles BOBBAUDER W(httpsy/twittereom/BobBaudcr) | Sunday, Sept, 18, 2016,11:05 p,m. Bernard R. Undstrom was named Thursday, Sept. 1, 2018, as the interim executive director o f the Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority. Bernard Undstrom knew the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority had deep-rooted problems when he applied for the job of acting executive director. The decorated Army veteran faced plenty o f those during a 28-year career in the Corps of Engineers, most recently as head engineer fo r the Corp's Pittsburgh District. He retired as a colonel in July, Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00059 Lindstrom wasn't sure on Wednesday -- his third day on the job -- how he might go about fixing the chronically ailing PWSA, bu t he said he is up to the challenge. "For the past seven years, I have been leading organizations that deal directly with water management on the national level;' Lindstrom said. 'The Army prepared me well for this job." He said PWSA's problems, particularly infrastructure dating back 100 years, are not insurmountable. He plans a triage m ethod o f addressing them. "just because you have an old car, you don't get rid of it," he said. "Also, you don't go fixing everything that's wrong with it. You do n 't fix the crack in the dashboard, you don't fix the crack in the seat. If the brakes need replaced, you replace the brakes. We need to do that same approach with our infrastructure, and we need to understand the risk of those things failing.'' Local wafer experts who have worked w ith him say he knows how to get things done. "At an organization which has had some instability over a period o f time, he will bring stability and also, l think, innovation to the PWSA," said Vivien Li, president and CEO of Riverlife, which worked closely with Lindstrom during the nearly fou r years he headed the Pittsburgh District. "He's really a good professional with experience In w ater engineering, and he understands how government organizations work. "He's nice to people who are not at his level, entry-level people," Li said. "I thin k that says som ething about a person's character. He has a way and style that allows him to talk to everyone in a way th a t's respectful and open." Lindstrom is a local p ro d u ct He grew up in Monroeville and moved w ith his fam ily to Fayette County. He is a 1986 graduate o f Connellsville Area High School and joined the Army ROTC program after graduation. He said he picked engineering and the Arm y Corps because he liked to tinker. "I decided l wanted to be an engineer when I was 16 years old," he said, "Swas one of those kids who used to rebuild motorcycles and rebuild dune buggies. My dad says, 'Hey you can either be a mechanic, or you can be an engineer, your choice."' He has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Mercer University and m aster's degrees in business administration and strategic studies from Benedictine College and the U.S, Army War College, respectively. His Army career has taken him from the Middle East to Korea, Washington, D C., and back to his hometown. "He was always very supportive," said ja n Oliver, director o f regional conveyance at Aicosan. "He liked very much being involved in projects. It will fit him well in his new role with PWSA," Lindstrom, who has a six-month contract and is being paid $16,667 per month, said he plans to apply for the permanent position. "I'm honored to serve in this capacity," he said. "Being selected to serve the city of Pittsburgh and its residents to deliver quality water Is just a great place to be." Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061_00061913-00060 Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff w riter. Reach him at 412-765-2312 or bbauder@tribweb,com fmailto:bbauder@fribweb.conn). Copyright 2017 -- Trib Total Media,. LLC (http://trfetQtatmedia.eom/l (TribUVE.com) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00061 /hofflfi/1 s I Bac;k iM e ws/aJlegjieny/111Jffl21i74/iead-cystgrners--jabs) | Text Size: --+ h ttp ://trib liv e .e o m /n e w s /a iie g h e n y /1 1 1 7 0 9 2 1 -74/iead-customerslabs PW SA announces new process for handling lead test kit requests MDASYN CZEBIhlK W (https;//twiMcr,com/Ma(ltlyCzcbsTfib) | Monday, Sept. 19, 2016, 8:21 p.m. The Pittsburgh W ater and Sewer Authority announced Monday it is implementing a streamlined process fo r handling lead test kit requests, saying it "will improve the integration o f lead test data gathered from the certified contract labs" and enable the authority to provide "more accurate and timely feedback to customers." According to an authority news release: * AH calls fo r tests w ill be automatically routed through the Customer Service Department and forwarded to the PWSA lab fo r processing. * Three contract labs will be used to analyze samples as opposed to two. * The authority will use a mail courier service, provided by the contract labs. The labs will ship lead test sample kits directly to customers. A fter customers collect samples, they will send the kit back to the lab fo r analysis using prepaid postage via the courier service. - The iabs will issue customers and the PWSA sample results, and PWSA will send customers who have lead in their w ater a ietter "including inform ation with options for mitigating lead exposure from water infrastructure." PWSA plans to hire a person "dedicated to increasing public educational outreach on infrastructure and water quality, and improve public relations for the integration of water quality, government relations, and engineering efforts," Madasyn Czebinlak Is a Tribune-Review staff w riter. Reach her at 412-320-7822 or Copyright 2017 --Trib Total Media. LLC (http://tribtotalm edia.com /) (TribLIVE.com) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00062 iZ b flm s } Back f/news/aliegheny/1 1296558-74/pwsa-veoa-arbtrationi } Text Size: TM+ http://trblive,com/news/alegheny/11296558-74/pwsa-veoHa-arbitration Pittsburgh Water & Sewer files law suit against former management firm MATTHEW SANTGN! W (http$://t\vittcr,comlMSantoni) f Wednesday, Oct, 12, 2016,11:15 a.m. Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority filed an arbitration lawsuit Wednesday against the company that ran the u tility's operations fo r more than three years, claiming it created problems such as faulty automated water meters and a change in corrosive chemicals that led to a state violation. PWSA is seeking damages not anticipated to exceed the $12,5 m illion the authority already paid or still owes Boston-based Veolia Water North America-Northeast, which had a management contract with PWSA from July 12, 2012, to Dec, 31, 2015, the suit states. "They represented to us they had this world-class expertise at running water authorities/' said Alex Thomson, chairman o f PWSA's board o f directors. "We ju s t don't believe they managed the authority as required in their contract." in a statement, the company said the authority's action was "inflam m atory" and "nothing more than an e ffo rt to redirect blame for their failures and not fulfill the ir contractual obligations to Veolia." Thomson said PWSA would seek to recover as much as possible o f w hat it paid Veolia, and would use that money back to offset authority rate increases. The lawsuit was filed with the American Arbitration Association, a New York-based nonprofit fo r resolving corporate disputes outside o f court, PWSA spokesman Will Pickering said, Veolia's contract w ith PWSA required that disputes go through arbitration, Thomson said. "PWSA asserts th a t Veolia grossly mismanaged PWSA's operations, abused its positions of special trust and confidence, and misfed and deceived PWSA as part o f its efforts to maximize profits fo r itself to the unfair detrim ent o f PWSA and its customers," PWSA officials said in a release announcing the arbitration suit. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00063 Among the issues alleged in the announcement -- but not included in the format filing w ith the Arbitration Association -- PWSA said Veolia was responsible fo r the botched roiiout o f automated water meters, inaccurate w ater bills and a 14-month change In chemicals fo r corrosion and lead control that violated PWSA's operating perm it from the state, "Veolia met its obligations and fulfilled the requirements of our contract in a fully transparent m anner/' the company stated. "We stand behind the w ork perform ed on behalf o f PWSA and strongly urge PWSA to stop trying to blame others fo r their failures and fulfill their obligations under the contract with Veolia." W ater samples In 2013 showed lead levels had climbed to 14.7 parts per billion, ju st below a federal Environmental Protection Agency warning threshold. Seventeen o f 100 homes tested this spring, after Veolia's contract expired, had lead levels exceeding the 15 parts per billion limit. PWSA was receiving more lead test requests than usual from customers in the wake o f the Flint, Mich., water crisis. "Veoiia's not responsible fo r the lead issue PWSA has -- these lead issues are the result o f the fact we have 75 to 10Q-yearold infrastructure," Thomson said. "But we do believe they didn't aggressively w ork on these issues when they were running the authority for three and a half years." Last year, PWSA customers filed a class-action lawsuit in the Allegheny County Court over w ater meter upgrades that resulted In inaccurate bills, increased administrative fees and improper shutoffs. That lawsuit was put on hold in June pending settlem ent negotiations. The state Department of Environmental Protection cited PWSA In December because, under Veoiia's management In 2014, the authority switched the chemicals it used in the w ater treatm ent process to reduce corrosion of pipes and the possible release o f lead. The PEP's operating perm it barred PWSA from making such changes w itho ut notifying the state, and PWSA changed back to its previous chemical early this year. "it is de ar Veolia cared more about the ir bottom line than providing residents w ith the high-quality water and customer service they deserve," Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto said in a statement. A binding arbitration hearing, with an arbitrator jointly selected by both parties or chosen by the arbitration association, will be held within four months of Wednesday's filing. Matthew Santoni is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-391 0927 or m santo n[@tr jbweb,co m .in m lto :m M Q Iot i# M bweiaxo ml. Copyright 2017 -- Thb T o M M edia,X LC j[littp.!//trjM o (TribLlVE.com) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061_00061913-00064 TRIB i/home/i ' S [ Back C/news/allegheny/ 1 1 359954-74/residents-pwsa-sewert | Text Size: --+ http://trib live xo m /n e w s/a !le g h e n y/1 1 3 5 9 9 5 4 -7 4 /re sid e n ts-p w sa -se w e r Sewer line repairs leave residents, P W S I at odds BOBBAUDER Sf (httpsV/twmerxom/BobBaudcr) j Monday, Oct, 24, 2016,4:36 p.m. Residents of Homehurst Avenue in Overbrook will have to w ait several more months before learning whether they will be held responsible for expensive repairs to a sewer line servicing their homes, A dozen homeowners there have battled the Pittsburgh W ater and Sewer Authority over ownership of the line since a 2014 backup sent raw sewage flowing onto the street. The Allegheny County Health Department cited the residents fo r violating department regulations and required them to replace the line or agree to share future maintenance costs. Original estimates fo r replacement ranged from $500,000 to $1 million, PW5A since has said residents could repair only a bad section of the line fo r about $5,300. Residents on Monday who attended a health departm ent hearing said replacement costs would exceed the value o f the ir homes, which were built in the 1920s. They said a future maintenance agreement would scare o ff potential home buyers, "(PWSA) is doing this obviously ju st to suit themselves," said Natalie Leon, one o f the residents. "Well see w hat happens/' Residents argued that PWSA always has maintained the sewer line and noted a manhole on the street has a cover indicating it is owned by the city. Rick Qbermeier, PWSAs deputy director o f engineering and construction, said authority records indicate it is a private line and homeowners have shared responsibility fo r its maintenance, PWSA maintains 1,250 miles o f public sewer lines. Private owners maintain another 750 miles, including lines running from homes to a sewer main. Max Slater, the health departm ent hearing officer, said he would issue a ruling in several months. He gave both sides two weeks to prepare summaries o f the ir arguments, Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff w riter, Reach him at 412-765-2312 or bbauder@tribweb.com {mailto:bbauder@ tribweb.com). Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00065 C opyright 2 0 1 7 -- lo b T o ta lM e riia, LLCfhttp://tribtotalm edia.com /i(TribUVE.com} Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00066 Whomg/} | B jj k J /lM ii/a jk gbenyjni4482Z4-Z4/5ewer-pw5a-residen3) | Text Size: *-+ http://trlbilve.com/locai/ailegheny/1144S274-74/sewer-pwsa-residents Recently discovered documents could settle Pittsburgh residents' dispute over sewer line BOB SUDER W (hUpsV/twiner.com/BobBaudcr) \ Thursday, Nov, 10, 2016, 10:09 a.m. Public records dating to 1929 could decide a long-standing disagreement between a dozen Overbrook residents and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority over a sewer line the authority contends should be maintained by residents. City Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak of Carrick dug up documents from Baldwin Township and the city that she said proves the sewer line on Homehurst Avenue is a public line, She said PWSA, not Overbrook residents, should be responsible fo r expensive repairs and maintenance. The dispute hinges on a ruling by the Allegheny County Health D epartm ent which heard testim ony during an October hearing. Hearing Officer Max Slater plans to issue a ruling in about fo u r weeks, according to departm ent spokeswoman Melissa Wade. Rudiak said ordinances approved by Pittsburgh and Baldwin more than 80 years ago should decide the case. Her office subm itted them last week fo r Slater's review, Baldwin officials in 1929 approved an ordinance creating "Sanitary Sewer District Number Eight" tha t included Homehurst Avenue, then known as Home Avenue. The ordinance provided by Rudiak's office calls fo r the construction of public sewers on the street and surrounding neighborhood. Pittsburgh on July 1,1930, annexed that portion o f Baldwin, Including a four-block section o f Homehurst tha t contains the disputed sewer line. "i believe that when that portion o f Baldwin Township was annexed, the sewer line was public," Rudiak said. "When the city o f Pittsburgh annexed that portion o f Baldwin Township, it also annexed that sewer line as well," Pittsburgh in 1999 created PWSA and turned over sewer lines previously maintained by its Department of Public Works to the authority. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00067 PWSA spokesman Will Pickering declined comment. Former authority spokesman Brendan Schubert said PWSA in 1999 assumed responsibility only fo r public sewers recorded on drawings provided by the city. The authority, he said, had no records fo r the Homehurst fine. Problems on Homehurst began In 2014 when a sewer line backup sent raw sewage into the street. PWSA unclogged the fine, but the health departm ent cited residents for violating departm ent regulations and required them to replace the line or agree to share future maintenance costs. PWSA originally estimated that line replacement could cost $500,000 to $1 million but since has said residents could replace only a bad section fo r about $5,300. Residents fear repair and maintenance costs couid exceed the value o f the ir homes built in the 1920s. Natalie Leon, 70, w ho has lived on Homehurst fo r 25 years, said PWSA always has maintained the line. She noted that a manhole cover indicates it is owned by the city. 'The city took over all o f these sewer lines, and PWSA Is responsible fo r everything that the city was originally responsible fo r/' Leon said. Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff w riter. Reach him at 412-785-2312 or M m d e :rM riJ m t o ^ Copyright 2017 --Trib Total Media, LLC (http://tribtotaim edia.eom /i {TribLiVE.com) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00068 6 j Back (/local/alleghenv/11576793-74/board-sewer-pwsa) | TextSize:TM + h ttp ://trib liv e .e o m /lo c a i/a lie g h e n y /1 1576793"74/board-sewer~pwsa PW SA water rates to increase in 2017 and 2018 BOSSAUDER W {https:7fwiucr.com/BobBaudcr} | Friday, Dec. 2, 2016, 2:21 p.m. Philip G, Pavaly / Tribune-Review PWSA crews make emergency repairs to an 8-inch w ater main on M t Royal Road in Squirrel Hill on March 2, 2016. M onthly bills fo r Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority customers will increase in 2017 and 2018, Citing aging infrastructure and massive debt, PWSA's board o f directors on Friday unanimously approved a $130 million 2017 operating budget and rate increases for each o f the next two years. They also raised fees fo r new sewer and w ater connections. Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00069 Bills for average residential customers using about 4,000 gallons o f water per month will increase by 13 percent in 2017 and 8 percent in 2018. Kent Lindsay, the authority's financial officer, said it would am ount to about $6.90 per month extra next year and about $4.80 more in 2018, "The revenue is sorely needed by this organization," said Bernard Lindstrom, PWSA's interim executive director. "We've been neglecting the Infrastructure here fo r many years." Residents also will pay 11 percent more fo r sewage treatm ent in 2017 under a series of rate increase approved in 2013 by the Alcosan board of directors, PWSA collects sewage charges fo r Alcosan. New sewer and water connections are increasing by a total o f 420 percent. A residential sewer tap-in will cost $2,978 next year and w ater tap-in will cost $2,224. Each cost $500 in 2016. Board members said they were reluctant to raise rates, but noted the authority is plagued w ith failing w ater and sewer piping --- w ith some critical main lines dating to before the Civil War -- and $750 m illion d e b t "About 1 00 years o f neglect and lack o f hard decision making left us In a position where we have to raise rates and raise our budget," said Paul Leger, a board member, who also serves as the Pittsburgh finance director. "I'm also a resident and a ratepayer, and I don't like It." lin d stro m said the budget positions the authority to pay down debt principal and increase capital expenditures. He said he plans to ask the board fo r $60 m illion in capita! spending next year, up from about $40 m illion this year. The board will vote on a capital budget in January. "Where we're at right now is a fix as faii system," he said. "Basically when som ething fails, we fix It. What we need to do is fix those critical components before they fail." Lindstrom listed two critical examples: PWSA's com puter systems used fo r billing and a main waterline feeding the Highland Park reservoir, which supplies 60 percent o f the city's water. Lindstrom said the com puter systems are 10 years out o f date and "one billing cycle away from another crash." The authority was unable to issue bills in certain neighborhoods for months in recent years because of system failures. He said one o f four water mains feeding the Highland Park reservoir has been out of service for more than three months because o f serious leaks. The pipe dates to before the Civil War, The budget, up by about $13 million over this year, dedicates $14 million in rate revenue to capital improvements. PWSA intends to borrow an additional $46 million fro m a revolving credit line at PNC Bank. Lindsay said the variable rate is currently 13 percent. Bob Bander is a Tribune-Review staff w riter. Reach him at 412-765-2312 or bbaudjgrcitrib^^^^ Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00070 post-gazette.coM PUtntmsgb P w H w H ttr Audit criticizes county Health Department in wake of high lead levels in Pittsburgh water December 19, 2016 1:06 PM By Don Hopey / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette An audit lias concluded that the Allegheny County Health Department isn't providing adequate oversight of 3 6 community water supplies and hasn't appropriately responded to tests showing high lead levels in some city' drinking water samples. But the health department replied that it's doing what the law allows and said the human health risk from lead in Pittsburgh's water pales in comparison to the risk from exposure to flaking and deteriorating lead p a in t County Controller Chelsa Wagner said her 3 4 -page audit report, released Monday, found "concerning lapses" In the health department's monitoring of the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, including a failure to identify a change in the use of water corrosion control chemicals, from soda ash to caustic soda, in April 20 14 . She said high lead levels found in the water supply in Flint, Mich., in 20 14 had heightened the public's concern about lead in public water supplies, but the health department hasn't reflected those concerns or taken action appropriate to a "water quality crisis." 'T h is is a question of priorities and will, and perhaps casting an eye on agencies that have traditionally not come under much scrutiny," Ms. Wagner said. `T h is is too big a question and concern to continue to be left to localities that lack the wherewithal to truly confront this issue or unaccountable authorities that are content to point fingers elsewhere," The audit says the state Department of Environmental Protection granted the county health department prim ary oversight of die 3 6 community water systems operating in the county, but the scope of the health department's authority is unclear, The report urged the health department to formalize that arrangement and step up its monitoring, enforcement and water test verification efforts, as authorized by the federal -lean Water A ct Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00071 The health department director, Karen Hacker said her department follows procedures In die federal Lead and Copper Rule and has publicized the high lead levels in the PWSA service area through public education, outreach sessions and on the departments website. It has also petitioned the U, S. Environmental Protection Agency to require more frequent water testing and tighter health-based lead action levels and advised concerned customers to have their water tested for free by the PWSA But Du Hacker said lead In paint and airborne lead due to home remodeling work pose much greater risks to children than lead in water, " Over the last two years, I can say that we've never had a situation in the county where lead in the water was a prim ary contributor to high childhood lead readings," .Du Hacker said. "Lead in paint is a ranch more substantial risk." She said that o f the almost 14 ,0 0 0 children in the county tested for lead In 2 0 1 4 ,1 3 5 had elevated lead levels in their blood. None of those elevated levels could be linked to exposure to water. Rather, she said, all were related to airborne dust from old and deteriorating lead paint. The health department has proposed requiring childhood lead level testing and reporting. The PWSA has about 83,000 customer households. It's estimated that 5 percent to 20 percent have lead service lines, the lines running from the water main connectors Into individual houses. -In April, the DEP ordered PWSA. to test lead levels in 100 homes w ith lead pipes, and lead levels above the action level of 15 parts per billion were found in 17. As a result, the PWSA was required to inventory the lead sendee lines and begin a replacement program, Ms, Wagner said the authority's inability to identify the number and location o f those lines reflects a failure to prioritize public concerns. "We need an all-hands-on-deck effort to address all areas of concern," she said. "Where those [lead] pipes are is certainly one of them." Exposure to high lead levels is hazardous to pregnant women, infants and young children. Studies show even low-level childhood exposure can dim inish mental capacity, and higher exposures can cause behavioral problems, learning disabilities, seizures and death, Don Hopey: 4 12 -263-1483, dhopey@post-ga2eUe.com or on Twitter @donhopcy First Published December 19 , 20 16 10:46 AM Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00072 TRIB iU f/home/l Q | Back C/locaS/alleghenv/11702061 -74/residents-pwsa-sewerl j Text Size: * + h ttp ://trib live .e o m /lo ca l/a Iie g h e n y/1 1 7 0 2 0 6 1 -74/residents-pw sa-sew er Health Department sides with Pittsburgh residents in fight with PW SA 80S BAUOER W (https;//iwiitcr<com^BobBauder) | Wednesday, Dec, 28, 2018, 4:09 p,m G uyW athen.f Tribune-Review Homehurst Avenue in Overbrook on Saturday, April 9, 2016. Three days before Christmas, longtime Overbrook resident Natalie Leon said she received "a gift from God." Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00073 Leon and 11 other homeowners on Homehurst Avenue have battled the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority for nearly three years over a sewer line under their street that the authority said was their responsibility to maintain and repair. Residents claimed the opposite. The Allegheny County Health Department last week ruled in favor o f the residents. "I find that the sewer line underneath Homehurst Avenue is a public line and tha t the city o f Pittsburgh is responsible fo r the sewer line's maintenance and repairs," Max Slater, the departm ent's administrative hearing officer, wrote in a Dec. 22 decision. Residents were elated over the news. PW5A declined to comment. "My neighbors and I are so grateful because this would have really devalued our homes," said Leon, 70, who led the fig h t "it really came at a beautiful time, before Christmas." The dispute started in early 2014 when the sewer line backed up. PWSA cleaned it out but notified residents that it was private and they would be liable fo r future problems. PWSA, which assumed control o f city sewers in 1999, said it had no record o f the Homehurst line. Health officials stepped in when it clogged again in October 2014 and cited residents with violating department regulations because raw sewage was flowing on the street. Officials gave residents a choice: Replace the line or agree to share future maintenance costs. Replacement costs were estimated to be as high as $1 million, "My main concern was the value of my property," said Patti Schanck, 58, a Homehurst resident of more than 30 years. "Who would want to buy my home if they knew they were responsible for this sewer line and Its maintenance and the costs associated w ith that? I thought it would make my property basically worthless." Residents appealed the citation, and Slater determ ined after a hearing in October that evidence presented by PWSA was "unpersuasive." City Councilwoman Natalia Rudiak o f Carrick, whose office argued on behalf of residents, said she was frustrated by PWSA's response. "It should have never gotten this far," she said. 'The PWSA is an authority and needs to act In the public interest. It didn't act in the public interest in this case." Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-785-2312 or bbauder@tribweb.com imailto:bbauder@ tribweb.comi Copyright 2017 Trib Total Media. LLC 1http://tribtotalm edia.com /) (TribLiVE.com) Sierra Club v. EPA 18cv3472 NDCA Tier 7 ED 002061 00061913-00074