PWSA: Pittsburgh completed six stormwater projects in 2022

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority announced that six stormwater infrastructure projects had been completed in 2022 to address water quality, flooding, and sewage backups.
Dec. 19, 2022
3 min read
Photos courtesy PWSA.
The dry stream bed, located along Woodland Road on Chatham University's campus works in tandem with underground storage to slowly release stormwater into the sewer system. The stones, engineered soils, and plants within the streambed mimic nature helping to slow stormwater runoff.
The dry stream bed, located along Woodland Road on Chatham University's campus works in tandem with underground storage to slowly release stormwater into the sewer system. The stones, engineered soils, and plants within the streambed mimic nature helping to slow stormwater runoff.

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA) announced that, in 2022, the authority completed six stormwater infrastructure projects.

The projects were constructed in five Pittsburgh neighborhoods where excess runoff often impacts public health, safety, and the environment. The authority says that the projects — constructed in Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, South Oakland, Carrick, and Point Breeze North — help to address neighborhood flooding, basement sewage backups, and diminished water quality in Saw Mill Run.

“PWSA made significant progress toward addressing stormwater challenges across our city this year,” says Will Pickering, CEO of PWSA. “We now have 18 stormwater projects in the ground protecting public health and the environment, with more on the way.”

The new stormwater systems feature green solutions constructed above and beneath the ground to manage runoff.

Above the surface, plants, soil, stones, and permeable pavers help to slow, capture, and filter rainwater while beneath the surface, underground storage systems, constructed of gravel, pipes, or modular tanks, hold back rainwater from overwhelmed combined sewers. They then slowly release the rainwater after a storm passes.

“A great deal of planning and engineering goes into each of our stormwater projects to ensure that each layer of the system — those at street level and the underground storage — work together to capture, retain, and safely convey excess water through our network of sewer pipes.” says Tony Igwe, Senior Group Manager of Stormwater for PWSA.

Clockwise from top left: Maryland Avenue, Woodland Road, Wightman Park Phase Two, Volunteers Field, Lawn and Ophelia, and Thomas and McPherson projects.
Clockwise from top left: Maryland Avenue, Woodland Road, Wightman Park Phase Two, Volunteers Field, Lawn and Ophelia, and Thomas and McPherson projects.
The Projects

At the Maryland Avenue Stormwater Project in Shadyside, permeable paver parking lanes and new storm inlets capture rainwater to be held in layers of gravel and storage pipe underground.

Just up the hill, PWSA and Chatham University partnered to create the Woodland Road Stormwater Project on Chatham’s Shadyside Campus. There, stormwater runoff is slowed down and soaked up as it flows through landscaping, a rocky stream bed, and modular underground tanks.

Stormwater bumpouts along Solway Street direct stormwater runoff to underground storage in Wightman Park and improve pedestrian safety.
Stormwater bumpouts along Solway Street direct stormwater runoff to underground storage in Wightman Park and improve pedestrian safety.
After completing the first phase of the Wightman Park Stormwater Project in Squirrel Hill in 2020 through collaboration with the City of Pittsburgh and other partners, PWSA constructed the second phase in 2021 and 2022. Stormwater bumpout planters along nearby streets now carry rainwater to storage infrastructure in the newly renovated park.
The rain garden adjacent to the ballfield at Volunteers Field filters pollution and supports drainage improvements.
The rain garden adjacent to the ballfield at Volunteers Field filters pollution and supports drainage improvements.
PWSA also partnered with the City of Pittsburgh on the Volunteers Field Drainage and Regrading Project in Carrick. The project included field regrading, an underground field drainage system, and a new rain garden to decrease field flooding, improve playability, and reduce pollution into the Saw Mill Run stream.

At another park project in South Oakland, PWSA renovated the Lawn and Ophelia Parklet with a rain garden, underground stormwater storage, landscaping, and street drainage improvements to capture and store more rainwater in this hillside park.

For the Thomas and McPherson Project in Point Breeze North, what started as a stormwater project, soon expanded to address other critical water infrastructure on several streets. Here, PWSA replaced water mains, lead service lines, and rehabilitated existing sewer infrastructure. The stormwater improvements includes an underground stormwater storage system constructed beneath permeable pavers, grass, and asphalt on several streets.

Sign up for Stormwater Solutions Newsletters
Get the latest news and updates.

Related