18990_Authority_Feb_2026

c oMMuniTy e ngageMenT in a cTion : 2025 c oMMuniTy e ngageMenT a ward w inning p rojecTs PMAA once again congratulates the 2025 Community Engagement Award winners. Their award photos and brief project descriptions appeared in the December 2025 issue of The Authority . In the following pages, read detailed accounts of the winners' innovative projects—the customer outreach, collaboration, and community trust that earned them top spots in their respective award categories. The Community Engagement Awards recognize authorities that exemplify good management practices and innovative approaches to challenges, while demonstrating a comprehensive approach to community engagement. B eyond The T ap : p iTTsBurgh w aTer ’ s B rand T ransforMaTion Pittsburgh Water’s recent rebrand marks a pivotal moment in an ongoing transformation that began several years ago. More than a new look, it reflects a deeper shift in how we serve our community and communicate our purpose. This article explores the driving forces behind our rebranding, the strategy we crafted to reintroduce ourselves to customers, and the ways we are bringing our brand promise to life. In 2018 we made a series of commitments to customers, vowing to reduce lead levels and remove lead service lines to protect public health; invest in aging infrastructure to improve service reliability; improve customer service; and enhance the day-to-day operations of our water system. Our rebrand to Pittsburgh Water in November 2024 marked the culmination of our progress and reflects our commitment to current and future generations of customers. Customers recognize our progress. We are proud to have one of the most renown lead remediation programs in the country. Our ambitious capital program will transform our infrastructure for future generations. Our Customer Service and Operations departments promptly address customer needs. With these organizational improvements in mind, it was time to reintroduce ourselves to those we serve. Our organizational transformation began with a focus on improving water quality and safety, increasing capital investment to strengthen our water system, and delivering more reliable service. In parallel we are also implementing modern systems that support operational efficiency and enhance the customer experience. In 2021 we turned our attention to establishing our organizational mission, vision and core values. We are now driven by our organizational mission— To support our region by protecting public health and the environment through the delivery of safe and reliable water services with a commitment to current and future generations of customers. With these transformative projects underway and employees grounded in our organizational mission, 2024 provided the ideal time to initiate our rebrand to Pittsburgh Water and reintroduce ourselves to our customers and the Pittsburgh region. About Pittsburgh Water Pittsburgh Water, located in Allegheny County, is a publicly owned and operated water utility that provides drinking water, wastewater conveyance and Continued on page 46. By Rebecca Zito, Senior Manager of Public Affairs, Pittsburgh Water