At the final ALCOSAN wet weather water management public comment session

I decided to take the time to come out to the final ALCOSAN meeting. O’hara Township is a bit ahead of the curve having implemented ordinances designed to reduce runoff. But the proposed plan is for the entire county land will affect our sewer rates along with everyone else’s. I don’t know about you, but 10-12% annual rate increases over 25 years or more sounds insanely expensive to me. That’s why I’m here: I support encouraging ALCOSAN to reconsider their plan to spend $2 billion on a plan to build pipes and tanks to handle runoff knowing full well that it won’t be enough to fully address the issues. The Pittsburgh Clean Rivers Coalition has been working with municipalities and community organizations willing to create and implement green solutions that are less expensive and more likely to benefit communities and resolve he issues over the long run. Green solutions prevent water from getting into the system in the first place, reducing the physical infrastructure needed to process excess flows.

County Exec Fitzgerald at a community meeting in Oakland last night committed in front of an audience of 1000 to insisting that ALCOSAN include green solutions in their plan that will reduce flows rather than just controlling them. There are more than 200 people

Pittsburgh Clean Rivers coalition gathering for the ALCOSAN

50 organizations here right now making it clear to the ALCOSAN board that they support this strategy. I hope we can all find a way to invest appropriately in a combined green/grey solution that satisfies  the consent decree requirements and does not impose unreasonable costs on citizens for clean water.