Pittsburgh's free water on the table as PWSA seeks to renegotiate contract

Pittsburgh’s free supply of water could run out as the city and the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority sit down to renegotiate a 24-year-old agreement outlining duties and responsibilities for operating the city-owned water system.

The Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority board of directors voted Monday to renegotiate the contract.

Paul Leger, who chairs the board, said the old agreement signed in 1995 is outdated and no longer reflects conditions within the city and authority. Officials have 90 days to craft a new agreement before the old one ends.

“The old agreement is now invalid,” Leger said. “What we are trying to do is come up with a new agreement that reflects itemized costs that we will pay for and or that the city will pay for or perform that reflects current standards of operation both for us and for the city.”

It will include things like the more than 600 million free gallons of water city facilities receive each year from PWSA, an estimated $2 million the city pays each year for PWSA employee pensions, a $7.1 million payment PWSA provides the city annually for unspecified services, and permit fees totaling “several hundred thousand” that PWSA would have to pay the city.

City Councilwoman Deb Gross of Highland Park, who doubles as a PWSA board member, said the agreement would also spell out responsibilities involving development projects and natural disasters such as landslides.

“This is the beginning of negotiations, so there probably will be some things that none of us here have thought of today,” she said. “You don’t know that until you sit down and start talking.”

Leger said payment for such things as water usage would likely come in phases.

“I don’t think we have any intention of just going up and slamming the city with a water bill that says, ‘Here’s a multi-million dollar water bill. Start paying me right now,’” he said. “Taxpayers don’t deserve that.”

Bob Bauder is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Bob at 412-765-2312, bbauder@tribweb.com or via Twitter @bobbauder.