Public water system · PA5020038
ActivePittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth
At a glance
Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth (PWSID PA5020038) is an active community water system in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. It reports serving 520,000 people through 79,034 service connections. Its primary water source is surface water, and EPA lists it as owned by a local government. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025.
This page covers its drinking water system only; sewer and wastewater service are not part of EPA's drinking water records.
Dataset updated . Source: EPA SDWIS/ECHO public records.
Population served
520,000
Service connections
79,034
Primary source
SW
Surface water
System type
CWS
Community water system
System record
How does Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth compare with other water systems in Allegheny County?
By EPA's size categories, Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth is a very large system (more than 100,000 people). Allegheny County has 65 active public water systems, and Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth is the 2nd-largest of them by population served. Its population served is about 17 times the county average of 31,017 people per system, and accounts for 26% of the 2,016,109 people reported by systems filed under the county. Across Pennsylvania, the 7,217 active systems average 1,741 people each. Nationally, the average active community water system reports serving 6,703 people, so Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth is about 78 times that figure.
What does “community water system” mean?
A community water system serves at least 15 connections used by year-round residents, or regularly serves at least 25 year-round residents. Homes, apartments and mobile-home parks are served by these. Pennsylvania has 1,762 active community water systems, 24% of the state's 7,217 active systems. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs. 246 Pennsylvania systems (3.4%) list surface water as their primary source.
Who owns and regulates Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth?
EPA lists Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth as owned by a local government. The PA state drinking water program is its primacy agency, the regulator with primary enforcement responsibility for the system under the Safe Drinking Water Act. 35 of the 65 active systems in Allegheny County (54%) are also owned by a local government.
Does Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth have drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025. The violations listed here began between January 2023 and July 2025. By type: 12 monitoring and reporting. The contaminants or rules involved are Total trihalomethanes (TTHM), Haloacetic acids (HAA5), Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rule and Carbofuran. EPA lists 12 as resolved. Resolved means at least one resolving action is on record: the system returned to compliance, the rule no longer applies, or no further action was needed.
| Began | Violation | Contaminant or rule | Health-based | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Total trihalomethanes (TTHM)code 2950 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-07-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring and Reporting (DBP) · code 27 | Haloacetic acids (HAA5)code 2456 | No | Resolved |
| 2025-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Turbidity (Enhanced SWTR) · code 38 | Interim Enhanced Surface Water Treatment Rulecode 0300 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Carbofurancode 2046 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Dinosebcode 2041 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Picloramcode 2040 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Pentachlorophenolcode 2326 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Hexachlorocyclopentadienecode 2042 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Hexachlorobenzenecode 2274 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Toxaphenecode 2020 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Glyphosatecode 2034 | No | Resolved |
| 2023-01-01 | Monitoring and reportingMonitoring, Regular · code 03 | Lindane (gamma-BHC)code 2010 | No | Resolved |
The 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, newest first.Labels and codes come from EPA's SDWIS reference tables. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found. "Health-based" marks violations of a legal limit or required treatment.
Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth: frequently asked questions
Who runs Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth?
Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth (PWSID PA5020038) is a community water system owned by a local government. It is regulated by the PA state drinking water program.
How many people does Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth serve?
Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth reports serving 520,000 people through 79,034 service connections in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.
Where does Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth get its water?
EPA SDWIS lists this system's primary water source as surface water. Surface water means the system draws its water from rivers, lakes, streams or reservoirs.
Does Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth have any drinking water violations?
Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025. A monitoring or reporting violation means a required test or report was missed or late; it does not by itself mean a contaminant was found.
Is Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth's water safe to drink?
AquaCensus shows EPA compliance records, not current water test results, so it cannot say whether the water is safe at a given moment. Of the 12 most recent violations in EPA's records, none is health-based, and the most recent began in July 2025. For current results, consult the system's annual water quality report, EPA ECHO, or the PA state drinking water program.
Where can I find Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth's water quality report?
As a community water system, Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth must deliver an annual water quality report, called a Consumer Confidence Report, to its customers by July 1 each year, covering the previous calendar year. The system can provide a copy on request.
Other water systems in Allegheny County
| Water system | County | Population served | Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pa Amer Water Co-Pittsburgh | Allegheny | 686,000 | Community | Surface water |
| West View Water Authority | Allegheny | 200,000 | Community | Surface water |
| Wilkinsburg-Penn Jt Water Auth | Allegheny | 125,000 | Community | Surface water |
| Hampton Shaler Water Authority | Allegheny | 61,949 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Monroeville Municipal Auth | Allegheny | 48,500 | Community | Purchased surface water |
| Oakmont Water Authority | Allegheny | 39,901 | Community | Surface water |
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About this data
Source: U.S. EPA Safe Drinking Water Information System (SDWIS) and SDWA violation records, via EPA ECHO, as published October 1, 2026 — AquaCensus refreshes it quarterly. See the methodology for how records are matched, cleaned and scored.
Cite as: AquaCensus, “Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Auth, PWSID PA5020038, Pennsylvania”, https://aquacensus.com/water-systems/pennsylvania/pittsburgh-water-sewer-auth-pa5020038 (data as of October 1, 2026).