LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACADEMY

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• LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACADEMY
• May 3, 2007

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Task Force Background

• Over the last 8 years, several regional studies
  have provided extensive information on our
  regions water and sewage problems.
• These efforts have consistently recommended
  regional collaboration to adequately confront our
  problems.
• The Regional Water Management Task Force was
  formed to begin achieving consensus on action
  steps.

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Representation/Scope

• Diverse, high-level representation from 11
  southwestern Pennsylvania counties
• Appointed with input from county
  commissionersand state legislators
• Chair Dr. Jared CohonPresident, Carnegie
  Mellon University
• Vice Chair Dr. Angelo ArmentiPresident,
  California University of Pennsylvania
• 15 additional members from throughout the region

Dr. Jared Cohon
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Public Water and Public Sewage Services in
Southwestern Pennsylvania
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Mission

• Solving our regions water-related problems in a
  way that best serves our citizens
• Protect the publics health, ensure environmental
  sustainability, provide for the regions economic
  vitality,and avoid costly regulatory actions
• Institutional not technical project
• Public engagement to determine consensus
• Implementation

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Our water seems fine

• The region has madegreat strides, BUT

Southwestern Pennsylvania continues to face one
of the worst combinations of water problems in
the nation.
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These important problems must beconfronted
aggressively, but significant obstaclesexist to
fixing them.
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The Causes of the ProblemsAre Complex and
Regional
Pittsburgh
Water Quality ProblemsDownstream
Are Caused by problems Upstream in Different
Communities, Counties,and States
Morgantown
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Over 1,000 Different Entities and1,100,000
Homes Responsible
11 Counties 601 Municipalities 268
Authorities Many other jurisdictions 1,140,300
Households
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Some of these entities are doing welland some
not doing so well

• Deteriorating infrastructure
• Average age is increasing
• Large disparity in investment
• Lack of planning
• Sewage discharges overlooked
• Corrective action plans, consent orders, tap in
  restrictions
• Aging workforce

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Cooperation Takes Many Forms

• As a region, we value the autonomy of
  municipalities and there are strengths to this
  system which can be capitalized on
• However, sometimes we pay a cost
• Not local ineptitude but regional inefficiency
• Water is a multi-municipal problem
• Nuances of regional approaches to regional
  problems
• Not about losing identity or voice
• Task Force does not have a preconceived solution,
  but rather trying to determine the best way to
  proceed
• because we all live downstream

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Regional approaches can work

• Examples in the region
• Indiana County Municipal Services Authority
  (ICMSA)
• Bundles investments to get best funding, solving
  serious problems,enjoys economy of scale
• Municipal Authority of Westmoreland County (MAWC)
• Efficiently interconnected water systems
• Consolidated infrastructure and expertise in both
  water and sewage
• 3 Rivers Wet Weather, Inc.
• Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission (SPC)

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Regional approaches can work

• Other metro areas
• Milwaukee(Southeastern Wisconsin Regional
  Planning Commission)
• Minneapolis-St. Paul (Metropolitan Council)
• Cleveland (Northeastern Ohio AreawideCoordinating
  Agency)
• Atlanta (Metropolitan North Georgia
  WaterPlanning District)

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How multi-municipal collaboration might help us

• Efficiency
• Operations and management
• Shared equipment, technology and personnel
• Money
• Greater access to funding
• Coordinated investment
• Equity
• Greater ability to work out problems on a
  watershed basis
• Stabilized, appropriate and common fees
• Shared planning regarding future water decisions
• Upstream/downstream, Long term sustainability
• Regulatory Relief

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Models for Input

• Regional planning
• Regional planning and financing
• County based planning and operations
• Watershed based planning and operations
• Greater incentives for decentralized
  collaboration

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A Balancing Act

• Local autonomy vs. regional efficiency
• Service provision vs. bureaucratic oversight
• Pay for your own problems vs. regional equity
• Rural vs. urban
• Not always true conflict we need to have a
  values discussion to overcome

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Phase II Goal

• Production of a highly specific proposal for
  water planning/management in southwestern
  Pennsylvania with an implementation strategy.
• Task Force will remain focused on seeking
  institutional solutions that will improve
  planningand management in the region

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Upcoming Public Meetings

• May 8 Fayette County
• May 9 Upper St. Clair
• May 15 Cranberry
• May 16 Monroeville
• May 17 Downtown Pittsburgh

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Questions/comments

• Ty Gourley, Project Managerdtg9_at_pitt.edu
• 412-624-7792 (W)412-721-5142 (C)
• www.iop.pitt.edu/water
• Sign up for our email distribution
  listAdditional public meetings/individual
  presentations available