Pittsburgh Water approves $12.1 million contract for lead pipe replacement
(UI) — Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PGH2O) has awarded a $12.1 million contract to Wilson Excavating for its 2024 Neighborhood Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR) project. The contract mandates the use of SWORDFISH lead pipe inspection technology before pipe replacement.
Element 82, a division of Crown and Electro Scan Inc.'s exclusive service partner, will conduct SWORDFISH testing on all water service lines for 1,600 homes.
The project is part of PGH2O’s broader initiative to identify and remove lead service lines, with a goal of eliminating them citywide by 2027.
“We congratulate Wilson Excavating for winning this competitive bid and applaud the visionary leadership of Will Pickering (CEO, PGH2O) and Dan Duffy (Principal at East Woods Consultants, LLC) for pioneering lead pipe identification and remediation,” said Mike App, Executive Vice President of Electro Scan Inc.
PGH2O’s approach has drawn national attention, with 32 organizations consulting the agency since 2021 to learn best practices. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) approved electrical resistance testing for lead pipe identification in May 2024. In December, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recognized it as the only commercially available solution for accurately locating lead pipes.
PGH2O has received $176 million from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and an additional $26 million from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority (PENNVEST) to support ongoing lead pipe replacement efforts.
Related News
From Archive
- Fatal trench collapse halts sewer construction in Massachusetts; two workers hospitalized
- Alaska LNG pipeline could require 7,000 workers at peak construction, developers say
- Ohio trench collapse kills one worker, injures two during pipe installation
- Elon Musk's Boring Co. fined for dumping drilling waste into Vegas sewer system
- $1.4 billion Midwest pipeline expansion to move more Canadian oil to U.S. Gulf
- Glenfarne Alaska LNG targets late-2026 construction start for 807-mile pipeline project
- Fatal trench collapse halts sewer construction in Massachusetts; two workers hospitalized
- Massive water line failure leaves majority of Waterbury without service
- Infrastructure failure releases 100,000 gallons of wastewater in Houston; repairs ongoing
- Pennsylvania American Water launches interactive map to identify, replace lead water service lines

Comments