I’m studying GIS through Penn State, and having SO MUCH FUN digging around in data and making maps. So, I want to share the first map app I made (intended for educational purposes only!): it’s a “Wastewater recreation map” to help those of us who want to safely recreate on these dirty ‘ol rivers.
Side note: I used ArcGIS Online’s “Instant App” feature to make this, and I was amazed by how intuitive and fun it was. I’ve worked in many contexts where we’ve been building (or dreaming of) “click to deploy” systems like this; it was really cool to use a tool that was achieving that so elegantly.
Many rustbelt cities, including Pittsburgh, have combined sewer systems: the wastewater infrastructure is combined with the stormwater infrastructure, so during heavy rains the sewer system can overflow into the public waterways. Knowing the location of sites where this outflow is discharged, along with sites where other types of facilities are discharging effluent into the rivers, can help boaters make informed decisions about where to launch their boat, and where they might want to avoid.
Image: Combined sewer outfall (CSO) at an ALCOSAN site near Chartiers Creek in Crafton, PA (Source: Lee Eicholtz, USGS)
This map displays the locations of public access boat ramps and launches in Pennsylvania, alongside ALCOSAN sewer outflows and other PA “water resource discharge” locations — these can be sewage treatment plants, instream discharge, spray irrigation field, groundwater recharge, on-lot septic, or an unidentified facility type.
The layers used in this map source information about river access locations (boat ramps and launches) from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission, PA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), and “water trail” partner organizations. The information about sewage and other discharge locations is from ALCOSAN, the PA Department of Health, and PA DEP.
Layers:
ALCOSAN. Sewer outfalls. https://services8.arcgis.com/vXrmg6iOl1pzNz4z/arcgis/rest/services/ALCOSAN_Outfalls_LOCKED/FeatureServer
College Township, original data from PA Fish & Boat Commission and water trail partners. Fishing and Boating Access. https://services8.arcgis.com/qnunbWxvlJsj1oVm/arcgis/rest/services/Fishing_and_Boating_Access/FeatureServer
Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC). On-Site Surface Water Discharges. https://services7.arcgis.com/oF9CDB4lUYF7Um9q/arcgis/rest/services/PRTR_2023_Water_Discharges_AGO/FeatureServer
Crawford County GIS, data from PASDA service. PA Fish & Boat launch locations. https://maps.pasda.psu.edu/arcgis/rest/services/pasda/PAFishBoat/MapServer/0
EJScreen / PA Department of Health (DOH), original data from US EPA. Wastewater discharge. https://pennstate.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=beb2109d2e6b4cb89d488a02da95b89a&sublayer=0#overview
PA Department of Environmental Protection. Water Resources – Discharge Locations. https://gis.dep.pa.gov/depgisprd/rest/services/emappa/eMapPA_External/MapServer/297
PA Department of Environmental Protection. Water Obstructions and Encroachments – Boat Launch Ramp Locations. https://gis.dep.pa.gov/depgisprd/rest/services/emappa/eMapPA_External/MapServer/211
Other references:
Allegheny County. “Water Pollution Control”. https://www.alleghenycounty.us/Services/Health-Department/Waste-and-Water-Related-Programs/Water-Pollution-Control Accessed August 31, 2026.
Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. “Wastewater Reports”. https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dep/programs-and-services/water/clean-water/wastewater-reports Accessed August 31, 2026.
Pennsylvania Water Science Center. “CSO outfall, ALCOSAN, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania”. (2025: April 26). USGS. https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/cso-outfall-alcosan-pittsburgh-pennsylvania Accessed August 30,2026.
Pittsburgh Water. “Combined Sewer System”. https://www.pgh2o.com/your-water/sewer/combined-sewer-system Accessed August 30, 2026.
United State Environmental Protection Agency. “Effluent Guidelines”. https://www.epa.gov/eg Accessed August 31, 2026.
