ALLEGHENY COUNTY – May 9, 2008
What can you expect? In the next two hours… • An overview of the task force • A video and verbal overview of our region’s water-related problems • Overview of southwestern Pennsylvania’s current institutional system • Exploration of multi-governmental collaboration • Public input on problems and regional models
Task Force Background Over the last decade, several regional studies have provided extensive information on our region’s water and sewage problems. These efforts have consistently recommended regional collaboration to adequately confront our problems. The Regional Water Management Task Force was formed to begin achieving consensus on action steps.
Representation/Scope Diverse, high-level representation from 11 southwestern Pennsylvania counties Appointed with input from county commissioners and state legislators Chair – Dr. Jared Cohon President, Carnegie Mellon University Vice Chair – Dr. Angelo Armenti President, California University of Pennsylvania Dr. Jared Cohon 15 additional members from throughout the region
Public Water and Public Sewage Services in Southwestern Pennsylvania
Mission Solving our region’s water-related problems in a way that best serves our citizens • Protect the public’s health, ensure environmental sustainability, provide for the region’s economic vitality, and avoid costly regulatory actions Institutional not technical project • Public engagement to determine consensus • Implementation
Our water seems fine… The region has made great strides, BUT… Southwestern Pennsylvania continues to face one of the worst combinations of water problems in the nation.
Water Quality has Improved, but Many Problems Remain 70’s 90’s 900% 800% 700% 600% 500% 400% 300% 200% Drinking Water 100% Standard 0% Industrial Fecal Fecal Industrial Metals Coliform Coliform Metals Source: Analysis of U.S.G.S. data monitoring
Problems Sewage An urban problem • combined and sanitary sewer overflows And a rural problem • malfunctioning septic systems Wildcat sewers
Sewage Overflows From Sewers Into Our Rivers and Streams By design… …and by failure.
Combined Sewer Overflows
SW PA Has Among the Worst Sewage Overflow Problem in the U.S. States with the Most Communities Combined Sewer Overflows with CSOs RANK STATE CSOS 1 Pennsylvania 1,631 2 Ohio 1,378 3 New York 1,032 4 Indiana 876 Combined Sewer Overflows by 5 Illinois 742 Region 6 West Virginia 681 RANK PA REGION CSOS 1 Southwest 763 7 Missouri 451 2 Northeast 349 8 Kentucky 288 3 Southeast 211 9 Massachusetts 278 4 North Central 125 10 Michigan 262 5 South Central 118 6 Northwest 65 TOTAL 1631
Sewage Overflows Exist Throughout the Region States with the Most Communities Combined Sewer Overflows with CSOs RANK STATE CSOS 1 Pennsylvania 1,631 2 Ohio 1,378 3 New York 1,032 4 Indiana 876 Southwest PA 763 1 5 Illinois 742 0 6 West Virginia 681 19 17 7 Missouri 451 22 Number of CSOs 8 Kentucky 288 413 by County 9 Massachusetts 278 140 62 10 Michigan 262 15 72 2
Major Rivers are Unsafe for Bodily Contact 4 Out of Every 5 Days Allegheny County Health Department CSO Warnings May 15 - September 30 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Sanitary Sewer Overflows – 600+ Each Year
Another Sewage Problem: On-lot septic system malfunction 300,000 Homes Are Not on Public Sewers… Allegheny Armstrong Beaver Butler Fayette Greene Indiana Lawrence Somerset Washington Westmoreland - 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000
100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% Allegheny Armstrong Beaver Butler Fayette Greene Indiana Lawrence Somerset Washington Westmoreland Human waste disposal methods by county in southwestern Pennsylvania. Black (centralized WWTP); gray (on-site systems); white (“other;” e.g., cesspools, straight pipes)
…but most of SWPA is Unsuitable for Conventional On-lot Systems USDA Soil Surveys show most of our soil does not support the use of traditional septic systems. Limited Slight or Use No Limitation
Thousands of Homes Have No Sewage Treatment At All As many as 27,000 homes in SWPA discharge untreated sewage directly into streets or streams.
SW PA Has Worst Contamination Problems in Ohio River Basin % Wat ater S Sam ampl ples Violat ating S g Saf afe C Contac act Stan andar dards ds for F Fecal C l Colif liform/E. c . coli, 2 li, 2006
Problems Flooding and Stormwater Between 1955 and 2000, PA’s median yearly flood damage was $9.5 million $4.4 billion in cumulative damages Southwest PA has been declared a federal disaster area due to flooding 7 times since 1984 Continuing disconnect between land use and stormwater will only worsen these problems
September, 2004
Problems Abandoned Mine Drainage 2,800 of 4,000 miles of PA’s AMD degraded streams are located in the Ohio River basin. Moreover, northern West Virginia has 1,100 abandoned mines discharging into the Monongahela River watershed.
Only some of our problems… Sewage, AMD and stormwater are only three of our region’s many problems Others include water main breaks, aging infrastructure, industrial pollution… In a recent task force poll, 49% of respondents reported being directly affected by at least one of the region’s water problems Holistic approach needed
Why should we care? Water does not recognize human or political boundaries • Affects all of our region’s residents • Urban and rural • Regardless of age, sex, race or income level
Why should we care? Significant costs of inaction • While there have been no recent outbreaks of waterborne disease, our current situation is extremely vulnerable • Imposed limits on growth and development due to inadequate infrastructure • State and federal regulatory actions, which will lead to even greater costs With aging infrastructure, our problems will only get worse The status quo is at best untenable – • Neither safe, economically beneficial, nor legal for us to continue in this manner
Water is One of Southwestern PA’s Greatest Regional Assets Ohiopyle Recreation Tourism Kittanning Economic Development National Security Quality of Life Pittsburgh Beaver
These important problems must be confronted aggressively, but significant obstacles exist to fixing them.
Huge Cost of Addressing the Needs Existing sewer systems $8.0 billion New sewer systems $0.5 billion Septic system upgrades $0.5 billion Total need $9 billion DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR NEEDED WATER INFRASTRUCTURE, AMD, AND STORMWATER MONIES
Our Financing Approach Makes Improving the Systems Difficult Some public needs are broadly funded through taxes (e.g. education, welfare, roads) Others are funded by insurance (health care) Water and sewage system funding through direct user expenditures with less state or federal monies • Applies to both public and on-lot systems
The Causes of the Problems Are Complex and Regional Pittsburgh Water Quality Problems Downstream… …Are Caused by problems Upstream in Different Communities, Counties, and States Surface Water Intake Ground Water Intake CSO Outfalls Malfunctioning Septics Morgantown
Over 1,000 Different Entities and 1,100,000+ Homes Responsible 11 Co 11 Count unties 601 M Municipalities 268 A 268 Aut utho horities Many other j jurisdictions 1, 1,140, 140,300 H 300 Hous useho holds
Number of Authorities by County 50 47 40 38 30 30 29 28 24 20 19 12 12 12 10 10 0 e a n y g r r e e t d e e e t n n c o n n n l t n s v e a e o t a t e r g a u e e h r i y e l d n e e r t B r g m a n s w G i r B h e m F I o a o l s m l S r L A a A t W s e W
10000 15000 20000 25000 30000 5000 Allegheny 0 Number of People per Authority Armstrong Beaver Butler Fayette Greene Indiana Lawrence Somerset Washington Westmoreland
Number of Square Miles per Authority 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Allegheny 0 Armstrong Beaver Butler Fayette Greene Indiana Lawrence Somerset Washington Westmoreland
Some of these entities are doing well…and some not doing so well Deteriorating infrastructure • Average age is increasing • Large disparity in investment Lack of planning Sewage discharges overlooked Corrective action plans, consent orders, tap in restrictions Aging workforce
Cooperation Takes Many Forms As a region, we value the autonomy of municipalities and there are strengths to this system which can be capitalized on However, sometimes we pay a cost Not local ineptitude but regional inefficiency • Water is a multi-municipal problem Nuances of regional approaches to regional problems • Not about losing identity or voice Task Force does not have a preconceived solution, but rather trying to determine the best way to proceed • because we all live downstream…
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