90.5 WESA | By Julia Maruca
PublishedApril 21, 2025 at 1:12 PM EDT
What the question asks
Shall the Pittsburgh Home Rule Charter be amended and supplemented by adding a new Article 11: RIGHT TO PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF POTABLE WATER SYSTEMS, WASTEWATER SYSTEM, AND STORM SEWER SYSTEMS, which restricts the lease and/or sale of the City's water and sewer system to private entities?"
Why the question is being posed
The city of Pittsburgh has leased its water and sewer system to Pittsburgh Water, previously known as the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, since 1995. Under the terms of the 30-year capital lease agreement that went with that transfer, the authority has the option to purchase the assets outright for a dollar later this year.
Pittsburgh Water management stresses that it has no plans to sell the system under any circumstances.
“We want to assure customers that Pittsburgh Water has no intention and is not considering any steps towards privatization,” said CEO Will Pickering in a statement. He said the authority is “fully committed to maintaining public ownership of our life-essential water and sewer system.”
But some advocates want to ensure the authority doesn’t have that chance — now or in the future. And they say approving the referendum will provide some protection against that prospect.
What the question would do
If voters approve the measure, Pittsburgh’s home rule charter — which governs the city and its authorities — would be amended to prevent the system from being leased, sold or transferred to a private entity.
Backers say that would help prevent a sale to a private company, such as Pennsylvania American Water or Aqua Pennsylvania. The companies are known for buying up publicly owned water systems, thanks to a 2016 state law that allows the practice. Activists fear such a move would lead to higher bills in the future.
“This is language that will protect the public asset that is PWSA, currently owned by the city and leased by PWSA. And so that protects the public ownership moving forward,” City Councilor Deb Gross said at a council meeting in January.
The referendum aims to give citizens legal grounds to sue if PWSA tried to sell off the system, Gross said. She cited similar proceedings that occurred in the township of Towamencin in Chester County, Pa. She also noted that it could also help provide more leverage to add conditions to the upcoming transfer to PWSA this fall.
“I would think that you could put some kind of restrictions on the sale [to] reflect the will of the people if they've passed this referendum,” she said.
Gabby Gray, lead organizer with Pittsburgh United’s water campaign, sees the ballot question as a way to erect long-term safeguards to avoid a future sale. She says future city leaders might see the sale of a system as a way to raise money.
“We want the next generations to have guardrails,” said Gray, who helped draft the wording of the question. “I'm not exactly sure if the next generation of leaders in Pittsburgh will be so close to this work as we are. So let’s put it in law to show them how much we care about making sure that our water is public.”
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Pittsburgh’s water system has had a turbulent history with private operators. Beginning in 2012, it was managed by the international company Veolia for four years. That contract was terminated amid controversy about lead levels, billing practices and rate increases — even as Veolia stood by its work.
Councilor Khari Mosley is looking even further into the future by considering the potential impacts of climate change-fueled droughts on the city’s resources.
“I think it's going to be that much more important to ensure that water systems are in the public trust because as water becomes more scarce over the next century, those being in private hands is truly a threat,” Mosley said at a meeting in February.
In a statement, Mayor Ed Gainey also said he was in support of the system remaining publicly owned.
“We can’t build a city that works for our kids, our families, or our neighborhoods without ensuring access to safe, affordable water,” he said.
