Residents press city and Pennsylvania American Water after downtown main break

Joan Hawan, a longtime downtown resident, told council the recent downtown water-main break exposed aging infrastructure and called on officials to demand asset-tracking records from Pennsylvania American Water.

"If Pennsylvania American Water is responsible for that infrastructure, do they know a layout? have a database on all of the water manes in the city, their age, their condition," Hawan asked, urging a caucus with company management to "hold their feet to the fire." She said some mains may date to the 19th century and warned of worse consequences if a break occurred in winter.

Mike Mancini echoed concerns about utility permits and road restoration, saying emergency permits were being used frequently and that utility cuts often lacked proper seam sealing. He asked council to ensure state-mandated crosswalks and safety measures are completed before schools reopen, and to provide clear answers about whether the city improperly collected certain local service taxes after exiting Act 47 in 2022.

City officials said tests were under way to lift the boil-water advisory and that crews worked around the clock to repair the break. The public record on which company owns which pipes and the exact age of affected mains was not provided in the meeting; residents requested a formal city-led review and direct answers from the utility.

Next steps: residents asked council to convene utility management for detailed briefings and to produce written updates on whether Pennsylvania American Water maintains a citywide infrastructure database and on plans for proactive replacements.