Pittsburgh Water Sets New Standard with Customer Request Sampling to Support Lead Service Line Replacement
Sampling
The Opportunity
To protect public health and support Pittsburgh's infrastructure goals, Pittsburgh Water committed to replacing lead service lines (LSLs) across the city, recognizing that resident engagement and rapid response were crucial for program success. Alongside 120Water, Pittsburgh Water developed an extensive customer request sampling program to ensure residents had clear pathways to request sampling, receive test results, and access immediate support when necessary.
The Strategy
Central to Pittsburgh Water's approach was making lead sampling easy and accessible for every resident. By leveraging 120Water's comprehensive platform, Pittsburgh Water developed a program for distributing and managing thousands of sampling kits each year. The program empowered residents to initiate water quality testing simply and swiftly, with clear guidance from the initial kit request through to sample collection and analysis. Once a resident requested a kit, the 120Water platform quickly processed and shipped the sample kit to their address. The platform's tracking features allowed PWSA to oversee each sample's progress from received to analyzed, to results. Pittsburgh Water was able to reduce turnaround times signiticantly, boosting public trust and engagement.
Community Engagement at Scale
Over 12,500 testing kits have been sent out in the last five years. By implementing a responsive sampling program, Pittsburgh Water was able to extend its impact beyond compliance, strengthening community trust and engagement. The sampling kits also served as valuable touch points for education. Each kit included detailed instructions and information on the sample collection process. Once results are received, residents are equipped with information about what Pittsburgh Water is doing to protect public health.
Results & Impact
The customer request sampling program exceeded expectations, quickly becoming a cornerstone of Pittsburgh Water's public engagement strategy. Automation and streamlined workflows enabled Pittsburgh Water to drastically reduce wait times for results, fostering a stronger relationship with the community. Residents, feeling informed and supported, responded positively, leading to increased participation in the LSLR program. With 120Water's sampling kits and data management tools, Pittsburgh Water set a new standard for community-focused LSLR programs. This initiative showcases how a well-implemented sampling program can empower water systems of all sizes to enhance transparency, responsive service, and public health.
Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority was able to reduce their customer request fulfillment from 4 months to 14 days. Facing skyrocketing customer requests, sent and tested more than 4,000 kits in an average of two weeks, implementing 24 hour customer notifications. They saved 80% of their cost on sample kits, and ultimately saved their team 14,000 hours of work by automating the process.
