Pittsburgh Water will raise bills by an average of 15% starting March 8 for tens of thousands of customers as it continues its decade-long overhaul of the city's aging water system.

Why it matters: The increase is well below the utility's initial proposal to hike rates 33% over two years. The higher rates help to modernize its water network, cover debt obligations and support operations.

By the numbers: The average residential customer using 3,000 gallons per month will see their monthly bill jump by 15% next month, from about $100 to $115, per Pittsburgh Water.

• Industrial customers' average monthly bills will rise by 28%, and commercial customers' by 15.5%.
• In 2024, water rates increased by an average of 13%.
• Pittsburgh Water has about 116,000 accounts in the city and nearby municipalities, serving nearly half a million people.

Yes, but: The roughly 9,000 low-income customers enrolled in Pittsburgh Water's assistance program will see smaller increases — or see decreases — in their bills.

• Income breakdowns here.

How it works: The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission approved the new rates as part of a settlement between Pittsburgh Water and stakeholders that addresses concerns about its impact on low- and middle-income customers.

• Pittsburgh Water also withdrew its request for another rate hike in 2027.

Zoom in: The added revenue — about $25 million a year — will help fund ongoing capital projects, including lead service line removals, new stormwater infrastructure, and rehabilitation of century-old sewer mains.

Flashback: Lead levels in Pittsburgh's tap water fell to a record low late last year, well within federal safety standards — thanks, in part, to the introduction of a food-grade corrosion control additive, a dramatic turnaround from the city's water crisis a decade earlier.

What's next: The utility is on track to replace all residential lead lines in its service area by 2027, building on the nearly 25,000 public and private lines it has replaced over the past decade.

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The city's newest rapid-transit bus line will make boarding faster and easier.

Why it matters: Pittsburgh Regional Transit will implement all-door boarding on all University Line buses starting in 2027, when the line is scheduled to be complete, aiming to make travel more efficient.

Context: Bus riders currently only enter at the front of the bus to pay their fare in PRT's network.

• Most of the network will remain front-door boarding, including routes that ride through some, but not all, University Line stations, like the P1, according to PRT spokesperson Adam Brandolph.

How it works: Riders using mobile pay or Connect Cards will be able to enter the front, middle and rear doors on University Line buses and pay their fare on validators located near each door.

• Riders paying in cash will have to board at the front door.

Between the lines: All-door boarding will reduce dwell times at stations and speed up service, said PRT.

• The agency said fare evasion is not a big concern, since PRT's fare evasion rate was 6% in 2025, much less than rates reported in Philadelphia, New York and San Francisco.

What's next

🦅 Irvin and Stella, the bald eagle pair nesting near U.S. Steel's Irvin plant, laid their first egg of the year. It could hatch within 35 days. Watch them live here.

🍪 Pim Neil, a 6-year-old girl from Mount Washington, has sold more than 117,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies, crushing the state record. She was recognized by the city, who dubbed last Friday "Pim Neil Day." (X)

🇺🇸 Gov. Josh Shapiro has ordered flags to fly half-staff on March 7 in honor of Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died last week. March 7 is the last day of Jackson's memorial services. (Press release)

🎉 Carnegie Museums hosted their first-ever Black History Month Celebration. (New Pittsburgh Courier)

☀️ UPMC has launched its first solar farm, building a 5.5-megawatt facility at UPMC Cole in Potter County. (WPXI)

The AI backpedaling has begun: 2028 Democratic contenders who bet big on data centers are suddenly retreating amid a growing voter revolt, including Gov. Josh Shapiro.

Why it matters: The politics of AI are evolving almost as rapidly as the technology.

Zoom in: Shapiro has shifted from proclaiming last year that Pennsylvania was "all in on AI" and trumpeting a $20 billion investment by Amazon in his state.

• After residents complained about data centers in their backyards, Shapiro called for additional oversight during his budget address this month, saying: "I know Pennsylvanians have real concerns about these data centers ... and so do I."
• Shapiro told reporters last week his position was "not really a switch" but rather formalizing what had already been the expectations for data-center companies.

The reason for the pivot: Americans are increasingly blaming the power-sucking centers for high energy bills — and they're freaked out about AI's ability to eliminate jobs.

• Nearly twice as many Pennsylvanians believe AI will hurt the economy compared to those who believe it will provide a boost, according to a November poll conducted by Real Clear Pennsylvania and Emerson College.

The other side: The Trump administration has argued that the U.S. needs to embrace AI to maintain a tech edge over China.

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