Pittsburgh voters may be asked to vote in May on whether the city should be restricted from leasing or selling its water and sewer systems to private entities.

Legislation introduced Tuesday to City Council would pose the question to voters as a ballot referendum, which a majority would need to support for it to take effect.

Councilwoman Deb Gross, D-Highland Park, said she’s advocated for such a move for years.

The city and its public water and sewer authority had contracted management of the system to Veolia Water, a private, Boston-based company, about a decade ago.

But the move was unpopular with the public and ended with the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority suing Veolia, claiming it created new problems within the water and sewer systems.

Gross said enshrining protections against leasing or selling the water and sewer systems to private entities would prevent similar problems in the future.

“It’s a national trend that big water corporations are aggressively trying to buy both water and sewer systems,” Gross said. “They’re buying public systems and making them into private systems. What we see across the country is that water rates go significantly higher, their profits go up and service and water quality go down.”

The lease the city penned with Pittsburgh Water in the 1980s includes a clause that would allow the public water and sewer authority to purchase the system from the city near the end of this year, Gross said. The ballot referendum she’s proposing would not block that sale, because it is a public entity.

“Pittsburgh Water is fully committed to maintaining public ownership of our life essential water and sewer system,” CEO Will Pickering said in a statement.

“As a publicly owned municipal authority that prioritizes public health over profit, we’ve replaced over 12,000 lead lines at no direct cost to customers, accessed millions in grant funding, and established one of the nation’s most comprehensive customer assistance programs to ensure all Pittsburghers have access to safe and reliable water service.”

Mayor Ed Gainey in a statement voiced support for the measure.

Gross called for a public hearing to further discuss the proposal before council would vote on the measure.

Council members R. Daniel Lavelle, D-Hill District, Khari Mosley, D-Point Breeze, Erika Strassburger, D-Squirrel Hill, Barb Warwick, D-Greenfield and Bobby Wilson, D-North Side co-sponsored the measure.

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