The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority has a deadline. By 2026, it must eliminate the disgusting byproduct of its antiquated infrastructure — untreated sewage that is discharged into the region’s rivers when rains overwhelm the system.
Like any deadline, the work that goes into meeting it requires planning and adherence to interim targets. In Alcosan’s case, it can’t produce a $2 billion sewer upgrade plan overnight, and it is running out of daylight if it’s going to get the job done on time. Doing so is critical.
Alcosan signed an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 2008 to stop the filthy overflows. Four years later, the authority unveiled its plan, which relied predominantly on gray infrastructure — sewers, catch basins, shafts and tunnels. In the past three years, there’s been a growing push for green infrastructure — porous pavement and rain roofs, barrels and gardens — an effort renewed at a Shadyside community meeting last week where residents complained about the location of what are called “drop shafts,” intakes included in the Alcosan plan. Kevin Acklin, Mayor Bill Peduto’s chief of staff, won cheers at the meeting when he promised to push for more green.
There is one big problem with this latest call for more green and less gray. Alcosan already asked the EPA, in 2013, for an extension to allow for further study of green elements. The federal agency said no, but it has been working with Alcosan to find ways to cut down on the wastewater rushing through its treatment facility, expand its capacity and cut costs.
Green is part of that, but Alcosan can’t lose sight of the ultimate goal and the deadline — cleaning up its illegal discharges into the region’s waterways and doing it on time.
First Published: November 26, 2015, 5:00 a.m.