Just a comment or two on the foregoing two organizations. ALCOSAN is loaded with patronage employees and has a bloated budget because there is exactly NO oversight of anything it does. It is a pork barrel for the politicians, city and county, to lard up investment bankers, bond lawyers and contractors, with pork.
It is unclear who is going to bear the burden of the costs to bring the sewage system in compliance with the various applicable laws and regulations. ALCOSAN treats sewage, but who is responsible for reconstructing the sewer lines and dividing combined sewers. It seems Pittsburgh, at least, still has crews and pays to deal with sewer lines.
Some years ago (as many as twenty), the city politicians warned us to steel ourselves for a sequence of double digit rate increases because of the cost of replacing the water system infrastructure and the fact that the entire city system needed to be replaced. Well, we got the rate increases alright, but not the infrastructure. PWSA never did anything other than what it has always done - when it breaks, fix it.
The solution? South Butler County, Northern Washington County and other outliers are nice place to live with responsible government. Compare the taxes - as much as half of the taxes we pay for the pleasure of living in Allegheny County, and even worse for the City. Obviously, half of us have already left over the years, and still remain members of Steeler Nation. Will the last person out please turn out the lights.
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James H. Joseph
6030 Bunkerhill Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15206-1156
Vox412.661.8896
Fax412.661.4023