The governor's Sustainable Water Infrastructure Task Force has scheduled meetings in Pittsburgh and seven other locations to hear ideas about the best way to fix and fund aging and deteriorating public water systems across the state.

The local meeting is scheduled for 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. May 19 in the Connan Room, University Center (Building #28), Carnegie Mellon University, 500 Forbes Ave., Oakland.

According to the federal Clean Water Needs Survey, Pennsylvania is facing approximately $11 billion in unmet drinking water infrastructure needs and at least $7.2 billion in unmet sewage treatment repairs and improvements.

Gov. Ed Rendell created the task force in February and assigned it to develop a report by Oct. 1 that provides recommendations and financing options that could be used to formulate the governor's fiscal 2009-10 budget.

For more information about the task force and meetings in Venango, Clearfield, Montgomery, Luzerne, Northampton and York counties, go to the DEP web site at www.depweb.state.pa.us, under water topics click Water Management, then click on the task force link at the left.