Project Overview
Pennsylvania American Water has completed a $6 million project to eliminate sanitary sewer discharges from 43 residences along Luscomb Lane in Dravosburg, Allegheny County, into an abandoned mine. Connecting this neighborhood to the McKeesport wastewater system will prevent the improper annual discharge of 6.3 million gallons of untreated wastewater into the Monongahela River watershed.
Background
In 2017, Pennsylvania American Water acquired the Municipal Authority of the City of McKeesport’s wastewater system. As a condition of the sale, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection required the company to connect the Dravosburg neighborhood, which had discharged an estimated 460 million gallons of sewer discharge into the Monongahela River watershed since 1950, to the newly acquired wastewater system.
Results
As part of this investment, Pennsylvania American Water contractors constructed two new sewage pump stations and installed approximately 4,700 feet of sewer main and 2,600 feet of sewer laterals along Bettis Road, Luscomb Lane, and Pittsburgh-McKeesport Boulevard. Additionally, nearly 1,000 feet of stormwater pipes and infrastructure were installed to eliminate further contamination of the abandoned mine.
Residents involved with the multi-year construction project were ultimately satisfied with the results, as homeowners did not incur any out-of-pocket costs related to the project, including the standard “tap-in” fee typically charged to connect to the wastewater system.
Pennsylvania American Water also replaced impacted driveways, sidewalks, retaining walls, and landscaping affected by the construction, again at no cost to the homeowners.
Testimonials
The project has garnered support from various environmental groups, including Three Rivers Riverkeeper. The group’s executive director, Heather Hulton VanTassel, praised the company’s investment and understanding of “the importance of updating our systems and infrastructure to ensure we are not dumping water that is contaminated into our source drinking water.”
Dravosburg resident Charles Gross remarked, “If it weren’t for Pennsylvania American Water coming through, we’d probably still wouldn’t be hooked up to the sewage.”
Watch video interviews with local stakeholders discussing the project's benefits and how it enhances quality of life while protecting the Monongahela River watershed:
Nick Pisciottano, Pennsylvania State Representative
Heather Hulton, Three Rivers Waterkeeper
Charles Gross, local resident
Robert Vermeulen, Bankson Engineers
Alex Paris, Alex Paris Contracting Company