Seriously, Don't Fuck This Up, Guys: Pittsburgh Voters To Choose Whether To Keep Water Service Public
PITTSBURGH, Pa.—In a state where far more people get their drinking water from private companies than the national average, Pittsburgh voters will decide this month whether to ensure their water and sewer service remains publicly owned and operated. The referendum, on the ballot as part of the May 20 mayoral primary elections, would amend the city charter so Pittsburgh Water could not be sold.
State laws that incentivize privatization help explain why one in three Pennsylvanians are served by private water companies, compared to around one in 10 across the country, according to the advocacy group Food & Water Watch. On average, private water companies charge 59 percent more for water service than public systems, the group found in a 2021 analysis that compared large systems—and the difference was even higher in Pennsylvania. “The harms of privatization are many,” said Mary Grant, Public Water for All campaign director at Food and Water Watch. “The key one is that you lose local control over an asset that’s essential for public health and well being.”
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For some of the residents pressing to ensure the Pittsburgh system remains public, the concern is water quality, not just rates. In 2016, after Pittsburgh Water had contracted with water company Veolia to manage the authority for three years, around 20 percent of sites tested for lead contamination in the city exceeded safety standards.
Pittsburgh Water sued Veolia, blaming the company for changing chemicals in the water treatment plant that protect against lead corrosion. Veolia, which filed a defamation claim against the authority, said Pittsburgh Water was responsible for the chemical change and cited the city’s aging infrastructure and previous history of lead problems. In a 2018 settlement, Veolia dropped the defamation claim and paid $5 million to Pittsburgh Water and $500,000 to a community organization that helps customers pay their water and sewer bills.
Gabby Gray, an organizer with the Our Water Campaign at Pittsburgh United, first learned of the lead contamination during a trip to Family Dollar in 2016. “There was no water on the shelves,” she said. A cashier was hiding two cases of water to bring home to her kids, but agreed to sell one to Gray.
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https://insideclimatenews.org/news/12052025/pittsburgh-water-privatization-vote/
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