OP-ED: A water turnaround in Southwestern Pa.
Just a couple of years ago, part of Greene County faced a water crisis. The East Dunkard Water Authority, the previous water provider for over 1,600 residents in several communities south of Pittsburgh, had been out of compliance with drinking water regulations for years. Families turned on their taps not knowing whether the water coming out was safe. Bottled water had all but entirely replaced the tap water that all of us should be able to trust. No community, no local resident should have to carry that burden.
I spent my early months as an elected official in these communities, speaking with residents who faced poor water quality. At the time, our constituents weren’t asking for amenities that come with living in a major metropolitan area. They were simply asking for clean water – a basic building block of every community, of every family.
Residents lacked faith in their community’s infrastructure and their ability to access the services they deserve. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) issued a Consent Order and Agreement (COA) that required the East Dunkard Water Authority to address these issues.
In 2024, Pennsylvania American Water was designated as the court-ordered receiver of the East Dunkard Water Authority and later formally acquired the system in April 2025. Community members and I were unsure what to expect with such a rapid change. Skepticism was understandable. This community had been let down before, and trust is not rebuilt overnight.
What we needed wasn’t only a change in ownership, we needed real investment, accountability, and results. We needed a partner. And we found one.
Now, one year after the system’s sale, I am proud to share our progress. Pennsylvania American Water, in partnership with local, county-level, and state-level officials, made the necessary upgrades to the system to deliver safe water for Greene County families and fully addressed the requirements of the original consent order.
Drinking water is back to meeting state and federal quality standards for the first time in years, but there is still work to be done. There is a full-scale renovation moving forward at the former East Dunkard Water Authority plant. And the plant employees, people who work and live in Dilliner and surrounding communities, are coming up on two years without a workplace injury incident. That last detail might seem like a footnote, but it speaks to a culture of care and professionalism that this system was previously lacking.
Restoring 1,600 residents’ water quality was the primary goal, and we’re proud to say PA American Water has met it. Yet, when you look at a project like this, you must keep your eyes on bigger opportunities for the community at large. This investment in Greene County is not only focused on what’s coming out of the tap, it strengthens the wider future of communities in our region.
Plain and simple: we need to entice businesses to come and to stay here. We need to ensure our high school graduates contribute to the local economy and serve the communities they grew up in. We need to expand our energy and broadband infrastructure development and invest in our community resources and public spaces. Clean, safe, reliable, and affordable water is crucial to all these efforts.
Communities across Pennsylvania are grappling with aging water infrastructure, and Greene County’s story offers a model worth watching. When local voices are heard, when the right partners come to the table, and when officials at every level hold the process accountable, real change follows. That’s what happened here.
There is still work to do. But today, the water running through Greene County homes, local businesses, and schools is safer and more reliable than it was just 18 months ago. That progress is real, measurable, and belongs to everyone who made it happen.
Jared Edgreen is a Greene County commissioner.