SUSTAINABILITY SPOTLIGHT
ALCOSAN wins NEAA Environmental Award
Operations and Environmental Performance
February 2026
Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) has been recognized with a National Environmental Achievement Award (NEAA) for Operations and Environmental Performance, honoring the authority’s leadership and measurable impact in advancing clean water infrastructure and environmental protection.
Presented by the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA), the National Environmental Achievement Awards recognize individuals and member agencies that have made outstanding contributions to environmental protection and the clean water community.
ALCOSAN received the award for its North End Plant Expansion: ALCOSAN’s New Outfall, a cornerstone project within the authority’s long-term Clean Water Plan.
The project represents a major milestone in regional water quality improvement, modernizing critical infrastructure while significantly reducing pollution to local waterways. After 65 years of continuous service, ALCOSAN’s original Ohio River outfall, operational since 1959, was officially taken out of service, marking a historic transition for the authority and the communities it serves.
By the Numbers
- $2 billion Clean Water Plan
- 83 municipalities served
- 2021 – River wall completed
- January 16, 2025 | 3:08 p.m. – Original Ohio River outfall closed; new North End outfall commissioned
- 65 years (1959–2025) – Original outfall in continuous service
ALCOSAN's New Outfall
A new outfall was constructed to the Ohio River at the north end of the plant. The outfall was integral to the new chlorine contact tank structure and the new river wall. The outfall design required careful design and consideration to the elevations in the Ohio River. The hydraulics of the plant flow had to account for river level fluctuations based on wet weather events.
On January 16, 2025, ALCOSAN celebrated the halting of flow that had discharged continuously to our original outfall to the Ohio River since 1959. At 3:08 pm on that day, the flow switched direction and went to the facilities of the North End Plant Expansion and through the new disinfection tank to be discharged from the new outfall. The events were captured on film and videos were distributed via social media channels and were shown at ALCOSAN’s Annual Public Meeting on February 26, 2025, and the ALCOSAN February Board of Directors Meeting.
ALCOSAN’s outfall discharge increased from 250 MGD to 295 MGD on September 4, 2025 as a result of plant capacity expansion. This increase eliminates those additional flows from overflowing into the rivers during wet weather events, further reducing pollution and improving the safety of our rivers for recreation, tourism and the environment.
The North End Outfall is now the highlight of plant tours, especially at ALCOSAN’s Annual Open House, which regularly draws over a thousand participants every September.
This national recognition underscores ALCOSAN’s continued commitment to operational excellence, environmental stewardship, and long-term investments that protect public health, strengthen infrastructure resilience, and improve the quality of life throughout Allegheny County.
Leave A Comment