A new report finds that water quality is generally good in local rivers during dry weather, but poor after rain, when sewers overflow.
The study was done by the 3 Rivers 2nd Nature project, based out of the Studio for Creative Inquiry at Carnegie Mellon University.
Pollution levels are still high in some areas of the rivers, including the Monongahela River at Braddock's boat launch ramp, where the report found levels of fecal coliform bacteria four times higher than Environmental Protection Agency limits.
Tim Collins, who headed the study, told Channel 4 Action News that government agencies continue to ignore polluted areas like the Mon in Braddock, even though more people are using the water.
"It's a heavily used boat ramp but nobody's paying attention there," he said. "There's a number of people aware of our study, aware of the constant problem there, but no action has been taken."
Phil Dugas, of Wilmerding, told Channel 4 Action News reporter Paul Van Osdol that he swims the Mon from the boat ramp to the Braddock dam.
"I'm not afraid of anything hurting me," Dugas said.
Don Robinson, of McKeesport, said he would never swim in the Mon, but he fishes there and has seen signs of progress over the years.
"When I was younger, it was tough catching bluegills and crappies," Robinson said. "Now you catch them all the time, so the rivers are cleaning up pretty good."
The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority is under a federal consent order to reduce sewage overflows into the rivers. That effort will take about $3 billion over many years, Van Osdol reported.
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