ALCOSAN Open House Offers Fun, Education

The Allegheny County Sanitary Authority (ALCOSAN) annual open house at the county’s sewage treatment plant not only informs and entertains its visitors—it also surprises them.

“Everyone comes in with these preconceived ideas of what they may see or smell,” said ALCOSAN manager of public relations, Nancy Barylak. “(After the event) they’re laughing at how their perceptions have changed.”

The Sept. 17 open house offers tours of the plant and its laboratory, nearly 40 exhibitors, and a variety of hands-on activities and games.

Myrna Newman agreed that the event isn’t usually what attendees are expecting.

“It turns out to be a very fun and interesting day,” she said. “It’s always well attended.”

Newman is executive director of Allegheny Cleanways, a Pittsburgh-based nonprofit with an exhibit at this year’s open house. The organization works to eliminate littering in Allegheny County.

The ALCOSAN event may not only change the perceptions of those who show up at the North Side facility—it may broaden their horizons as well.

The open house not only strives to show its guests how the county’s sanitation system works, according to Barylak, but how the environment and the local watershed are vital to the region.

“In Pittsburgh, people think, ‘I don’t live near the rivers, so I don’t live near a watershed'—but the opposite is true,” she said.

Now in its ninth year, the festival attracts about 2,500 annually.

“To our knowledge,” she said, “there is no other event like this in the area.”

There is also no admission, no cost to park, and a free lunch with hotdogs, hamburgers, fruit, and drinks served in recyclable cups.

Staying true to its environmentally-aware mindset, trash from the open house will be recycled and biodegradable waste will be taken from the location to be composted.

Activities for those of all ages range from a waterworks display for youngsters where they can play with “plumbing” (with little ponchos available, because, Barylak cautioned, the kids will get wet) to an environmental Jeopardy! game for adults where all participants receive a sapling and the grand prize is a rain barrel.

There are a number of tours offered during the day, even one just for kids. Barylak said the tours are “extremely” popular.

Among events and exhibitions this year are WQED and its “Sid the Science Kid,” Venture Outdoors, Redzone Robotics, Inc., Friends of the Riverfront, The Awesome Spirit of Wildlife, Inc. (TASOW) and ALCOSAN’s own Freddy the Fish mascot, who will be on hand for pictures.

Many of the exhibits are hands on, according to Barylak, and that is part of the fun.

“It’s actually doing something and learning about something,” she said.

When?  9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17.

Where?  3300 Preble Avenue, Pittsburgh’s North Side

Want more info? www.alcosan.org