Pittsburgh Unifies its Approach to Updating Stormwater Management

Aging infrastructure in Pittsburgh has resulted in sewer overflows and street flooding with more frequent and intense heavy rainfall under climate change. The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) identified priority neighborhood and designed an integrated watershed plan utilizing green and gray infrastructure to improve water quality and manage stormwater. PSWA along with the city developed a new stormwater rate plan to financially support the initiative and provide financial incentives to private property owners to remove impervious surfaces and apply green infrastructure. PWSA also updated the stormwater ordinance with the creation of a new permitting and inspection process and guidance on designing stormwater management systems.