Living, Thriving Systems

A Letter from our Executive Director

Water is alive. The forms it takes, from the smallest stream to the largest ocean are each individual systems that are interconnected as a part of a larger living, breathing ecosystem. Everything that depends on those living water systems is also a natural part of keeping it moving and healthy, up to and including humans, even if we tend to think the opposite.

That being said, as a species, we are not doing the work required to keep those systems working. With the growing challenges of manmade climate change, we are putting immense, unsustainable pressure on our water systems globally and locally. To ensure a future with healthy ecologies and healthy communities, we must focus on building regenerative water systems that are designed to adapt to change and remain functional during extreme weather events. Pittsburgh likes to lean into its label as a “livable city”, but if we are failing to build systems that offer clean, affordable water to everyone, can we truly consider our region livable?

Currently at UpstreamPgh, we are undergoing a multi-year strategic planning process. We are taking a hard, deep look into how we interface, not just with our local water systems, but with the communities tied to them within the Nine Mile Run Watershed and beyond. We are asking questions about what a truly regenerative water system would look like. About who would benefit from such a system, what communities’ needs are, and how that system would or would not meet them. And ultimately, about who holds the power to make creating and maintaining that system a reality.

The Nine Mile Run Watershed has been such a successful model over the past 20+ years because we grounded ourselves in innovation and the understanding that natural solutions are often the best. It was the constant in all our programming and allowed us to explore ways of working with and talking about water that changed people’s perspectives. As we grow and transform, we must maintain those same core principles while adding two new ones: collaboration and inclusion. We need to build whole systems programming, and for us that means taking a people-first approach to water. One where we acknowledge that no system thrives unless all parts of the system are allowed to thrive (people included).

While we are still deep in the planning process, early 2024 will see us launch what we believe will be as new a model for watershed planning as NMRWA was. We want to create frameworks that can be used to inspire collaboration and inclusion of all people in Pittsburgh and beyond. It is only together, as one whole, living system that we will not just survive, but thrive in the face of the climate crisis.

So, what do you say, are you ready to join us in this new vision?

In solidarity,

Mike Hiller Executive Director UpstreamPgh

Board Of Directors

Claudia Saladin Board President Senior Project Manager evolve environment::architecture

Yvonne James Board Vice President Owner James Floral

Ana Bennett, EIT Board Secretary Associate Project Manager Pittsburgh Water & Sewer Authority

Robin Ryan, CPA Board Treasurer Senior Manager, Assurance Services Grossman Yanak and Ford

Alex Ball Retired Engineer Westinghouse East Hills Stakeholder

Tom Batroney, PE Senior Engineer HDR