When Jack's Run was set free in 2008, Alcosan was also freed from having to treat its storm water runoff.

That project was the first in a series Alcosan is undertaking to put streams on separate courses from the water and waste that make the trip to Alcosan's treatment facility. As an added benefit, Jack's Run, which ends at the Ohio River in Marshall-Shadeland, got a restorative overhaul.

Today, it is clear as it babbles along pools and riffles in a zigzag, step-down design that both aerates and slows the water.

In McKees Rocks, crews are diverting Pine Hollow from Alcosan's collection system in a project to be completed this year. And this summer, work will begin on a stream restoration in Sheraden Park.

"The amount of flow you eliminate coming into the system is tremendous with projects like this," said David Borneman, director of engineering and construction at Alcosan. "All these efforts are to control overflow of sewage throughout hundreds of points in our system.

"With the consent decree, we're developing a plan to control wet weather overflows."

The 2008 federal consent decree requires Alcosan to assemble a plan by 2012 to eliminate almost all of the 22 billion gallons of untreated sewage discharged into area waterways each year and implement the plan by 2026. Each of the 83 municipalities Alcosan serves entered into agreements with the Allegheny County Health Department and the state Department of Environmental Protection in conjunction with the mandate.

Alcosan is required to stop 53 illegal, untreated sanitary sewer overflows into area creeks and rivers every time it rains, and significantly reduce the wet weather overflows of sewage from 153 combined sewer outfalls into the rivers. Approximately 200 municipal sewer outfalls must also be reduced by at least 85 percent.

Taking the streams out of play leaves more capacity for sanitary flow, said Nancy Barylak, Alcosan's spokeswoman, adding, "Why should we be treating the water from the creeks?

"We're permitted for 250 million gallons a day and average 200. In storms it goes up to 250, and only half of that is billable."

Jack's Run's reparation did not fall under the decree, but it would regularly flood because of runoff that carries debris from hillsides around it. Alcosan crews regularly have to go into that low-lying area to clear trash that piles up behind the intake system.

Work on Jack's Run "involved a lot of rerouting of sewers," said Mr. Borneman. "Prior to our work, the stream came into an inlet structure that included stormwater from under the parking lot of the Brighton Road Giant Eagle, and from Ross and Bellevue."

Besides freeing of stream from sanitary pipes, the stream restoration -- widening of the bed and planting of native foliage -- is also expected to prevent overflows that cause flooding, said Ms. Barylak.

"It's been a problem area since 279 was built," she said. "Because Alcosan went down there all the time to clean out the trash rack, the communities thought we should do it. We were identified as stewards of the problem and we weren't. We said to the communities, 'Let's all work together to fix this.' "

Easier said than done.

John Ciangiarulo Jr., a McKees Rocks borough councilman and member of the Alcosan advisory board, said it took years for Pine Hollow's three communities -- Kennedy, Stowe and McKees Rocks -- to get together.

The three boroughs had to meet with project planners to agree on the shared costs and maintenance, he said. The Pine Hollow project is costing each borough $150,000.

Officials from the three boroughs meet once a month with the Army Corps of Engineers, and the three communities meet from time to time to discuss mutual interests, he said.

"We're in the process of trying to get agreements among the three communities to maintain the sewers."

Many creeks were culverted in the post-war housing boom of the 1940s and the water was tied into the Alcosan system. But sewage overflows since have proved costly.

Nine Mile Run was so polluted that it took local, state and federal agencies three years and $8 million to restore it and make sewer line improvements. That work was done in 2006.

Each of the first three Alcosan stream-separation projects costs about $6 million, said Ms. Barylak.

"We have identified 11 streams in our service area and we're looking at each one to plan which ones have enough flow to justify a $6 million cost," she said.

As these projects continue, Alcosan will have to float bonds, which are funded by rate payers, she said.

Funding for these projects also comes from municipalities, the Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority and the Army Corps of Engineers.

Work began to build new combined sewers in Sheraden Park in 2009. Aquatic habitat restoration and invasive species control begins this year. Next year, the groundwater and natural streams will be conveyed to the original stream bed designed with the same system of pools and riffles that convey water along Jack's Run.

Springs have been identified in about six areas of Sheraden Park. This water is captured in catch basins and is currently tied into the storm line. The water will eventually flow into a flood plain and empty into Chartiers Creek, said Joe Fedor, an environmental scientist for Alcosan.

The original stream bed is obvious but is now filled with weeds, rusted car parts and other debris.

"In restoring and daylighting, there are still some culverts," said Mr. Fedor, "but the point is to make sure the streams empty into a natural body of water."

Mr. Borneman said Alcosan's projects are planned "to reduce flow rather than build new pipes. In addition, pockets around Chartiers Creek may lend themselves to a green habitat and that brings back added value to the community."

First Published: April 18, 2011, 4:00 a.m.