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A block-by-block schedule for Pittsburgh Water’s planned sewer repair project will be available at pgh2o.com/projects-maintenance/construction in late September or early October. Screengrab from www.pgh2o.com/projects-maintenance/construction

By Juliet Martinez, managing editor

Citywide sewer repair project starting in Hazelwood next month may produce odors

Pittsburgh Water announced on July 31 a project to repair public sewer mains around the city. The water authority, also known as PWSA, said the work will start in Hazelwood.

Funding for the project comes from nearly $54 million in low-interest financing from the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority. Pittsburgh Water spokesperson Julianne Pelusi said in an Aug. 6 email that construction will likely start in mid-October after a Sept. 19 loan closing. A block-by-block schedule will be made available at that time. Visit pgh2o.com/projects-maintenance/construction to learn more about projects that Pittsburgh Water may be conducting in your area.

Pittsburgh Water will be at the Sept. 8 Greater Hazelwood community meeting to talk about this project. (See Page 2 for details.) Residents on affected blocks will receive door-hanger notices one week and one day before the work starts. The authority will also post signs, according to Ms. Pelusi.

The sewer repair will be mostly trenchless, she said. The water authority crews will use a process called cured-in-place pipe, also known as CIPP lining. This uses an inflatable tube treated with a hardening agent so that it creates a new pipe inside the old, deteriorated pipe. After it is hardened, sewer laterals will be reconnected to the sewer main. The new materials should last 50 years without needing repair.

The trenchless sewer repair process produces odors that may bother residents. Pittsburgh Water explains in a video on its website that the odor comes from the hardening agent, styrene. Styrene odors may cause headaches and other discomforts, though the amount of chemical released through CIPP lining is generally safe for most people.

Residents should make sure all the p-traps in their homes are full of water to minimize the odor. If they continue to smell styrene in their home, they should open their windows and use fans to air out the space. If the odor is still strong, residents should contact Pittsburgh Water emergency dispatch by calling 412-255-2423 and pressing 1.

Pittsburgh Water: Work in The Run focused on collecting data about past projects

Pittsburgh Water crews have been seen working in Four Mile Run this summer. Spokesperson Rebecca Zito said in a statement to The Homepage that the work was part of the authority’s efforts to address the neighborhood’s problem of severe flooding.

“In July 2025, Pittsburgh Water began measuring how stormwater moves through several parts of The Run and at the existing ‘M-29’ combined sewer outfall downstream near the Monongahela River,” Ms. Zito wrote. The M-29 outfall is a combined sewer outfall near the Monongahela River that collects stormwater and wastewater from The Run and upstream areas including Oakland, Squirrel Hill, Greenfield, Hazelwood and Schenley Park.

“This flow monitoring wrapped up in August 2026,” Ms. Zito wrote. “Because of this summer’s heavier rainfall, we now have enough information to update our planning tools. These updates will be finished in the fall of 2026 and will give us a more accurate picture of how the system handles big storms.”

The new information, she said, would help the authority see whether earlier work has helped reduce flooding during heavy rain. That earlier work includes improvements to the M-29 combined sewer outfall finished in 2022.

“Understanding the impact of that earlier project is an important step in planning any additional improvements for The Run,” she wrote.

The new data will also be used to determine what else can be done to reduce flood risk and improve stormwater management in The Run. Ms. Zito said Pittsburgh Water is looking for funding sources, so that ratepayers do not have to bear the cost of those projects.

To report stormwater emergencies directly to Pittsburgh Water Dispatch, call 412-255-2423. Operators are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Water infrastructure terms to know

Stormwater: Rain or melted snow that flows across streets, sidewalks, yards and hillsides. In heavy storms, it can collect debris and overwhelm drains.

Combined sewer: A pipe carrying both household wastewater and stormwater. Approximately 75% of Pittsburgh neighborhoods, including The Run, are served by combined sewers.

Combined sewer outfall: A location where combined sewer pipes can overflow into a river during rain. These are monitored closely to understand flooding and water quality impacts.

Flow monitoring: Measuring how much water moves through pipes or streams during storms. These measurements help Pittsburgh Water see how the system responds during heavy rain.