PITTSBURGH — Imagine working seven days a week for eight hours a day in an office building infested with mice. This is the reality that employees at the Pittsburgh Water Authority reported to Channel 11 News. Employees shared that they’ve been dealing with this issue for months.
Photos sent to the Channel 11 newsroom show rodent traps placed next to cubicles, along walls, and behind filing cabinets in the Downtown office building located at 1200 Penn Avenue, which houses dozens of employees.
An internal email sent to staff in February revealed that both the leadership of the Pittsburgh Water Authority and the building’s landlord, The Buncher Company, were aware of the infestation for several months.
The email stated that effective February 27, 2025, all hybrid staff would be able to work remotely until Monday, March 17, 2025. This arrangement was made to allow Buncher time to address the ongoing pest problem. However, when employees returned to the office, the mice were still present. Instead of solutions, employees received guidelines on how to help combat the pest issue.
Recently, a message was sent to all employees acknowledging that the pest infestation remains active and ongoing.
Channel 11 attempted to contact The Buncher Company, the building’s landlord, but they did not respond. The Allegheny Health Department informed us that this pest issue falls outside of their jurisdiction, as they cannot regulate private commercial properties that do not serve food.
We also heard from representatives within the Pittsburgh Water Authority. A spokesperson for the organization stated:
“The safety and well-being of our employees is our highest priority at Pittsburgh Water. We have communicated our expectations to The Buncher Company, our building landlord, and are actively collaborating with them to address the rodent issue at our 1200 Penn Avenue headquarters.
They have established a dedicated pest control plan, which includes weekly visits from their pest control vendor and daily monitoring of established rodent stations. They are continuously evaluating options for better results. Additionally, we are working closely with them to improve janitorial services and communication, reinforcing our commitment to maintaining a clean and safe workspace for everyone.
We appreciate the cooperation and patience of our employees as we work to resolve this ongoing situation.”
Many employees are hesitant to speak on camera, but describe the working conditions in the building as deplorable and dangerous. Channel 11 asked the leadership if employees could continue to work remotely while they address the pest problem, but we did not receive a response.
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