Highland Park’s glittering reservoir pump station gets an update to better serve the community’s water supply needs — while remaining a gorgeous destination.
New Reservoir Pump Station Provides Clean Water to Highland Park
Highland Park is no stranger to Pittsburgh’s extensive water system. For almost 150 years, the glittering reservoir — officially, Highland Reservoir 1 — has been a favorite spot for picnickers and joggers. Built to provide drinking water for the city, the reservoir also quickly became the centerpiece of the park’s green space.
Now, a new pump station in Highland Park is near completion after two years of construction. Sitting below the Highland Reservoir 2 (at the corner of Negley Avenue and Mellon Terrace), the new station is the first of $1 billion in investments Pittsburgh Water is making to address the city’s aging infrastructure.
How the Highland Reservoir Pump Station Powers Pittsburgh
The purpose of the new Highland Reservoir Pump Station is twofold. First, the fully modern system prevents low-pressure events and power outages — playing the role of a “silent hero,” according to Will Pickering, CEO of Pittsburgh Water. Residents won’t even know the system is doing its work because their water will continue to run with normal pressure, even during unusual circumstances. Low-pressure water events are more than an inconvenience; they can result in boil-water advisories to ensure the safety of Pittsburgh’s drinking water. The new, highly efficient and adaptable system in Highland Park will serve two-thirds of the city, sending out an additional 56 million gallons per day to Pittsburgh’s eastern neighborhoods, the Hill District, and parts of Oakland.
Second, the completion of the new pump station will ensure uninterrupted service for residents when Pittsburgh Water undergoes a full replacement of the Clearwell, the city’s 44-million-gallon water treatment basin, as part of its major Water Reliability Plan. These crucial updates to Pittsburgh’s water system lay the foundation to serve future generations for the next 50 to 100 years.
Pickering celebrated the opening of the Highland Reservoir station at a public gathering in December. “The completion of this facility is a major milestone on our way to completing the largest series of construction projects our city’s water system has seen since its original installation,” he said at that event.
Centering in on Beauty and Function
Functional though the new system — and the reservoir itself — may be, the department is taking extra effort to ensure the park retains its status as an appealing destination. Building the new pump station involved a vast team of area contractors and discussions with the local community. Residents wanted the plans to honor the natural beauty of the park. Pittsburgh Water worked with evolveEA, a local sustainable architecture firm, to create areas of native plantings and landscaping and establish the new Serviceberry Trail.
Residents have long been involved in working with Pittsburgh Water to preserve the beauty of their beloved park. When new state and federal laws mandated upgrades to protect the integrity of drinking water in the late 1990s, all city reservoirs were either covered or replaced in closed tanks. The Highland Park community raised concerns that the reservoir was too beautiful to cover. In response, then-Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority built a special membrane filtration plant unique for the Highland Reservoir 1 so it could remain open.
Pittsburgh Water installed soundproof barriers to protect neighbors from the pump station operations. There will be no on-site staff. Operations will be fully remote. To neighbors, little will change. Behind the scenes, however, a jewel of the city is being modernized while remaining a beautiful fixture of its neighborhood.
Story by Milena Nigam
Photo by Woodsnorth Photography / Alamy
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