Aspinwall officials prioritize replacing old water lines after recent water main breaks

Water breaks July 2 and July 3 in Aspinwall left many residents without water, and borough officials are moving forward with plans to improve water line infrastructure.

Public works crews responded to three breaks around 7 a.m. July 2 in the 700 block of Center Avenue, the intersection of Field Avenue and Second Street and the first block of Fifth Street and repaired the lines. Another break occurred July 3 in the 800 block of Center Avenue.

Borough Manager Melissa Lang O’Malley said the borough owns all water main lines and purchases water from the Pittsburgh Water and Sewage Authority.

The water comes from the Allegheny River.

“All the repairs have been fixed and the water boil advisory for Center Avenue has been lifted,” O’Malley said.

The likely cause of the breaks was attributed to power outages that resulted in surges from the water plant into the system, O’Malley said.

Aspinwall’s water lines are old, said O’Malley, with many dating back from 30 years or more, or even to the early 1900s.

“We recently raised our water rates and added a maintenance fee of $20 per quarter in an effort to be proactive and replace water lines,” she said.

The quarterly rate for water is $13.98 per 1,000 gallons, up from $11.98. The increase was implemented during the second quarter of 2022, O’Malley said.

Gemma Pollice | Tribune-Review

Water flows along Fifth Street in Aspinwall at about 7 a.m. on Saturday July 2 after three water main breaks occurred in the borough.

A July 6 post on the borough’s Facebook page lifted the boil water advisory for Center Avenue.

Some residents have reported what they described as a buckling on Center Avenue, from the recent water main break.

Aspinwall resident Lisa Perry, 54, woke up to a water main break right in front of her home.

Perry said she’s thankful for the quick response from the borough.

“What I love about my community is that help arrives quickly. Gene Marsico and his team were out front working on it immediately,” said Perry, referring to the borough’s public works foreman and his crew. She added that crews kept residents updated throughout the repair process.

Perry said some faucets in her home still run a bit brown and murky and she is boiling the water or running it until clear.

“The work on the pipes really needs to be addressed and with fixing these sorts of infrastructure issues comes challenges. It will certainly help with lowering our water bills and be better for the environment,” Perry said.

Courtesy of Aspinwall Borough

Aspinwall Borough crews work to repair a water main break. The borough suffered four breaks in two days on July 2 and 3.

Residents experiencing discolored or brown water are advised to run the cold tap until it clears.

There are 1,200 service lines located throughout the borough.

Borough residents with questions about water issues are asked to email aspinwallpa.com@gmail.com.