Department of Environmental Protection Monday released its final report detailing the results of its Comprehensive Performance Evaluation of Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority’s Aspinwall Water Treatment Plant conducted September 18 through 22, 2017.
Among the findings, DEP will focus primarily on turbidity -- a primary water quality factor that measures the clarity/cloudiness of water due to suspended particles -- and data management.
The CPE was a thorough assessment of the Aspinwall Water Treatment Plant, conducted jointly by DEP, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and their contractor, which included an assessment of operations, design, data, maintenance, and administrative practices and their impact on the performance of the plant.
The CPE was a thorough assessment of the Aspinwall Water Treatment Plant, conducted jointly by DEP, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and their contractor, which included an assessment of operations, design, data, maintenance, and administrative practices and their impact on the performance of the plant.
The assessment team recently presented its findings to PWSA.
"DEP's primary concern is protecting the public by ensuring that the drinking water distributed by PWSA and other water utilities meets the highest standards of quality and safety," said Lisa Daniels, DEP Acting Deputy Secretary for the Office of Water Programs and Director of the Bureau of Safe Drinking Water. "This detailed operational assessment of the Aspinwall facility has helped DEP identify performance limiting factors which could potentially affect the quality of drinking water so that PWSA, working with DEP, can forge a path forward that puts the quality and supply of drinking water to consumers first."
In determining a list of performance limiting factors, the team analyzed and compiled information from a plant tour, interviews with PWSA personnel, performance and design assessments, special studies, and the best professional judgement of the CPE team. The report categorizes, classifies, and ranks the performance limiting factors.
“DEP will continue its increased inspection and data gathering effort to monitor PWSA’s progress to address the performance limiting factors outlined in this report, and encourages PWSA to incorporate all findings in its restructuring efforts,” added Daniels.
DEP initiated and led the CPE to enable the prioritization of PWSA’s corrective actions. EPA responded to DEP’s request for assistance by providing additional, specially trained personnel.
"DEP's primary concern is protecting the public by ensuring that the drinking water distributed by PWSA and other water utilities meets the highest standards of quality and safety," said Lisa Daniels, DEP Acting Deputy Secretary for the Office of Water Programs and Director of the Bureau of Safe Drinking Water. "This detailed operational assessment of the Aspinwall facility has helped DEP identify performance limiting factors which could potentially affect the quality of drinking water so that PWSA, working with DEP, can forge a path forward that puts the quality and supply of drinking water to consumers first."
In determining a list of performance limiting factors, the team analyzed and compiled information from a plant tour, interviews with PWSA personnel, performance and design assessments, special studies, and the best professional judgement of the CPE team. The report categorizes, classifies, and ranks the performance limiting factors.
“DEP will continue its increased inspection and data gathering effort to monitor PWSA’s progress to address the performance limiting factors outlined in this report, and encourages PWSA to incorporate all findings in its restructuring efforts,” added Daniels.
DEP initiated and led the CPE to enable the prioritization of PWSA’s corrective actions. EPA responded to DEP’s request for assistance by providing additional, specially trained personnel.
PWSA cooperated with DEP’s initiative and has addressed violations discovered during the CPE and noted in DEP’s September 28, 2017 field order to the Authority.
EPA, with DEP’s assistance, plans to conduct a second CPE, which would focus on PWSA’s distribution system, but has not yet set a date to do so.
The findings summarized in the CPE report and the issues addressed in DEP’s subsequent field order are separate from and unrelated to the issues addressed in DEP’s October 25, 2017 Administrative Order.
The PWSA Aspinwall Water Treatment Plant supplies drinking water for approximately 80 percent of the City of Pittsburgh and Millvale Borough, and sells bulk water to Reserve Township, Fox Chapel Authority, Aspinwall Borough, and the Hampton Shaler Water Authority.
The PWSA Aspinwall Water Treatment Plant supplies drinking water for approximately 80 percent of the City of Pittsburgh and Millvale Borough, and sells bulk water to Reserve Township, Fox Chapel Authority, Aspinwall Borough, and the Hampton Shaler Water Authority.
The plant is designed to treat source water from the Allegheny River through coagulation, flocculation, clarification, sedimentation, filtration, disinfection, and corrosion control treatment.
A copy of the CPE final report, with select portions redacted for security reasons, is available on the DEP Southwest Regional Office Pittsburgh Water Authority webpage.
A copy of the CPE final report, with select portions redacted for security reasons, is available on the DEP Southwest Regional Office Pittsburgh Water Authority webpage.
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