State cites Pittsburgh authority for lead treatment process
PITTSBURGH (AP) — The state Department of Environmental Protection has cited the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority for changing the way it removes lead from water without state permission.
The DEP says the authority started using caustic soda instead of soda ash, which is more expensive, about two years ago. The authority is cooperating with the investigation and changed back to soda ash in January.
The DEP hasn’t determined whether the authority will be fined.
DEP officials say there’s no public health threat based on recent water tests, which show lead levels well below legal limits. The DEP says a story in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tipped off the agency to the problem.
The authority provides water to 300,000 customers in Pittsburgh and a few nearby suburbs.