48: Building Water Equity with Will Pickering, Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority

In this episode, CSB Director CB Bhattacharya is from our hometown Pittsburgh, PA by Will Pickering, Chief Executive Officer at Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority (PWSA). Prior to transitioning to CEO in 2021, he served as the Deputy Executive Director and Director of Public Affairs at PWSA.  In the Episode Will Pickering and Prof. Bhattacharya discuss...   - Why finding a deeper sense of purpose can help rally the workforce during the Great Reshuffle,  - What an equitable water future looks like for the citizens of Pittsburgh,  - How PWSA is protecting public health and the environment through the delivery of safe and reliable water services, and more... - While Pittsburgh is rich in water resources from the surrounding rivers, complex and interlocking water inequities abound. Water-related challenges disproportionately affect low-income people and communities of color. The economic and health ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic, which have hit communities of color at much higher rates than white communities, have also exasperated these issues.  As a public utility, PWSA is responsible for serving as a mindful steward of our water system and continuing to provide essential and dependable water services now and for generations to come. Right now, they’re making decisions that will impact Pittsburgh for the next 100 years.   With over 350 employees across all of its locations, PWSA produces an average of 66 million gallons of water per day and serves approximately 300,000 customers with an annual operating budget of $3 million. - Please submit any feedback and/or questions you have. This episode was researched, recorded, edited, and produced by Prof. CB Bhattacharya and CSB Team of the University of Pittsburgh Center for Sustainable Business: www.sustainablebusiness.pitt.edu Music: "Lively" by Dee Yan-Key From the Free Music Archive CC BY NC SA