Ice that had blocked the Allegheny River water intake at Pittsburgh Water’s treatment plant was broken up and cleared Tuesday afternoon.
At 3:30 p.m., officials said, that a barge and tugboat helped break up the ice to clear water intake from the Allegheny River.
City officials said the blockage limited the water company’s capacity and pumping operations during the morning and part of Tuesday afternoon.
“Pittsburgh Water is using several different tactics to mitigate this situation including manually breaking the ice from above, hosing to keep ice away from the intake, and mechanical efforts from a barge to break up ice and debris,” said Pittsburgh Water spokeswoman Rebecca Zito.
Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor stopped by the plant around noon, saying he is “working with leadership & staff to monitor the situation.” He posted images of himself at the plant on social media.
Our team at @pgh2o is working diligently to address the ice buildup at the water intake.
— Corey O'Connor (@CoreyOConnorPA) January 20, 2026
I’m at the Treatment Plant working with leadership & staff to monitor the situation. Continue to follow Pittsburgh Water & City social media channels for updates. pic.twitter.com/iOCpNDcX4i
The National Weather Service issued a cold weather advisory for the region as wind chills plummeted as low as 15 degrees below zero, frigid enough to potentially lead to hypothermia or frostbite without proper precautions.
“Ice is common this time of year in the Allegheny River. Typically, obstructions are managed by temporarily turning off pumping, allowing the ice to flow past the intake,” Zito said. “This incident is unique because the ice obstruction was not easily cleared from the intake.”
There is an ice blockage at @pgh2o’s Water Intake into the Water Treatment Plant on the Allegheny River.
— City of Pittsburgh (@Pittsburgh) January 20, 2026
Updates will be provided every 30 minutes. pic.twitter.com/VLQwWVEKgg
The cold on Tuesday prompted Pittsburgh to open warming centers and Allegheny County to close its outdoor recreation sites. Several schools delayed start times, closed or pivoted to remote learning.
