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Duquesne: Water Quality, Billing on City To-Do List
Councilman says progress has been made, but more work to be done
By Tom Leturgey
The Tube City Almanac
February 14, 2024
Posted in: Duquesne News
(Tube City Almanac photo)
Duquesne officials say that improving the city’s water infrastructure and billing are at the top of their to-do list for 2024.
At the Feb. 6 council meeting, City Councilman Aaron Adams said water-quality testing continued in January, and there was only one water main break during the month that was resolved “without incident.”
Adams said that pump station work continues, and that all updated installation had been completed. “We are now working on networking” the system with sensors and other monitoring equipment, he said.
Officials are actively working on obtaining a grant to pay for redesigning the pump station and said that a new chlorinator pump is needed.
Residents saw a 50-cent increase in their minimum 1,000 per gallon usage in 2024. Adams explained that last year, homeowners paid $9.90 for their first 1,000 gallons, and it’s now $10.40 for the same amount.
The city plans to be more aggressive in collecting delinquent water bills, he said.
“In my first two years (on council), I’ve been pretty lenient,” Adams said, but with the city exiting Act 47 state oversight, collections on utilities will be more important.
The city acknowledges that there is still work to be done on water service, Adams said, “but we have seen improvements with our equipment upgrades.”
Adams said the city will be “more transparent to get the word out” about water-related alerts in Duquesne.
With cold weather, water main breaks occur more often, and Adams said the city is working on improving communication with residents.
Tom Leturgey is a freelance writer based in Pittsburgh and the editor of KSWA Digest, the online news and features home of the Keystone State Wrestling Alliance. His work also appears in The Valley Mirror and other publications.
Originally published February 14, 2024.
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