Blending interests of land and water Clean Water … Green City Howard M. Neukrug, PE Director, Office of Watersheds

A new approach for SUSTAINBLE Cities!! MSU Green Roof Research Program (courtesy Old House Journal)

Innovations Innovati ve where needed? Watersquares

Technically feasible Cost beneficial, Sustainable and adaptive, Supportive of the goals of the: Clean Water Act Safe Drinking Water Act Clean Air Act Urban Sustainability Green infrastructure is :

Technically feasible

Cost beneficial,

Sustainable and adaptive,

Supportive of the goals of the:

Clean Water Act

Safe Drinking Water Act

Clean Air Act

Urban Sustainability

Re-defining our Industry Environmental Protection Resource Managers Watershed Protection Leaders in Sustainable Design Regional partners Community based collaboration Adapting the urban landscape

Environmental Protection

Resource Managers

Watershed Protection

Leaders in Sustainable Design

Regional partners

Community based collaboration

Adapting the urban landscape

Linking land and water Land Water Infrastructure Community

Philadelphia Water Department Office of Watersheds An integrated utility: Drinking Water Wastewater Stormwater A new integrated approach: Land Waterways Infrastructure Community

An integrated utility:

Drinking Water

Wastewater

Stormwater

A new integrated approach:

Land

Waterways

Infrastructure

Community

Unite the City with its water environment Create a green legacy for future generations Incorporate a balance between ecology, economics and equity Clean Water … Green City

Unite the City with its water environment

Create a green legacy for future generations

Incorporate a balance between ecology, economics and equity

How to Manage Stormwater Old Approach – Collect it and pipe it away quickly!

How to Manage Stormwater New Approach – Temporarily hold it on site to allow it to: Infiltrate Evaporate Be Reused

New Approach –

Temporarily hold it on site to allow it to:

Infiltrate

Evaporate

Be Reused

Green Grey Infrastructure Solutions

Sustainable Site Design Courtesy of WRT and PennPraxis

Courtesy of WRT and PennPraxis

Courtesy of WRT and PennPraxis

Planning for land can improve our water

Planning for land can improve our water

Planning for our water can improve our land Civic Vision for the Central Delaware

Planning for our water can improve our land

Why is Green Infrastructure Critical to Philadelphia? Shrinking cities Old infrastructure Continuing the old approach is unsustainable Large percentage of low income households Community renewal Environmental justice Urban waters and corridors, parks, open space,

Shrinking cities

Old infrastructure

Continuing the old approach is unsustainable

Large percentage of low income households

Community renewal

Environmental justice

Urban waters and corridors, parks, open space,

The old approach to managing water

Crooked Streams are a menace to life and crops… In addition, much of the dirt is loosened and later scoured out by the water …which rushes swiftly through the straightened channel

There are significant issues ahead of us for improving the water environment PLUS: LTCPU, 308 letter, state COA, new permits

Overflow Compliance Costs Washington Pittsburgh Philly Population (million) 2 0.850 2 Service Area (mi 2 ) 725 200 286 CSO Area (mi 2 ) 19.5 60 64 Number of CSOs 53 > 300 166 Overflow Volume (BG/Yr) 2.5 14 16 Compliance Costs $ 2.65 Billion $2 - $3 Billion $ BILLIONS

Our Approach for investing in CSO reductions Keep stormwater out of the sewer Spend capital dollars above the ground, not below it Leverage other sources of money Restore the urban waterways Recognize that for PWD to be a sustainable utility, our city must be sustainable Solve multiple problems at once

Keep stormwater out of the sewer

Spend capital dollars above the ground, not below it

Leverage other sources of money

Restore the urban waterways

Recognize that for PWD to be a sustainable utility, our city must be sustainable

Solve multiple problems at once

The Public is equally interested in all things water

Our Approach…. Capture the first inch of each storm For every impervious acre “greened” we will reduce about 1 Million gallons of runoff per year Achieve continuous improvement for water quality

Capture the first inch of each storm

For every impervious acre “greened” we will reduce about 1 Million gallons of runoff per year

Achieve continuous improvement for water quality

Green Infrastructure = Continuous Improvement

Our Approach…. Capture the first inch of each storm For every impervious acre “greened” we will reduce about 1 Million gallons of runoff per year Achieve continuous improvement for water quality The more change that occurs through normal urban renewal, the less it will cost

Capture the first inch of each storm

For every impervious acre “greened” we will reduce about 1 Million gallons of runoff per year

Achieve continuous improvement for water quality

The more change that occurs through normal urban renewal, the less it will cost

Philadelphia’s 2006 Stormwater Regs have already reduced runoff by (almost) 1 BG per year

Our Approach…. Capture the first inch of each storm For every impervious acre “greened” we will reduce about 1 Million gallons of runoff per year Achieve continuous improvement for water quality The more change that occurs through normal urban renewal, the less it will cost Use incentives to increase the rate of change

Capture the first inch of each storm

For every impervious acre “greened” we will reduce about 1 Million gallons of runoff per year

Achieve continuous improvement for water quality

The more change that occurs through normal urban renewal, the less it will cost

Use incentives to increase the rate of change

Creating an impervious cover rate charge

How our Rate Payer’s money will be invested $ 270 Wet Weather Treatment Plant Upgrade

$ 270 Wet Weather Treatment Plant Upgrade

How our Rate Payer’s money will be invested $ 270 Wet Weather Treatment Plant Upgrade $ 310 million Stream Corridor Restoration and Preservation “ Fishable, Swimmable, safe, attractive and accessible”

$ 270 Wet Weather Treatment Plant Upgrade

$ 310 million Stream Corridor Restoration and Preservation

“ Fishable, Swimmable, safe, attractive and accessible”

Before and After restoration of an interceptor

Proposed Stream Corridor and Preservation Sites

How our Rate Payer’s money will be invested $ 270 Wet Weather Treatment Plant Upgrade $ 310 million Stream Corridor Restoration and Preservation $1020 million Green Stormwater Infrastructure Vision: “Philly’s 8 green programs to manage every acre of imperviousness”

$ 270 Wet Weather Treatment Plant Upgrade

$ 310 million Stream Corridor Restoration and Preservation

$1020 million Green Stormwater Infrastructure

Vision: “Philly’s 8 green programs to manage every acre of imperviousness”

Philly’s 8 green programs

Putting it all together

To rebuild our City

Overwhelming Public Support “ I love the idea! Please give us a greener Philadelphia. It would make us healthier and happier all around.” - Response to the question, “ Are you in favor of greening?” (PWD “Green Neighborhoods through Green Streets Survey.”)

Imagine if we invested in Philadelphia’s green infrastructure …

Belmont Intake Riparian Restoration Project Schuylkill River BEFORE AFTER

Washington Avenue

Port Richmond Rail Yards and Lehigh Viaduct

Frankford Avenue

Pier 70 Early Action

Penn Treaty Park

Spring Garden Street

Girard Interchange Connection

Clean Water Green City = Urban Waters Program? Based on Achieving Water Quality Goals Improves public health, the environment and quality of life and builds community capacity Makes environmental stewardship relevant to new sectors of society Green jobs and volunteerism Sustainable over generations Restores the urban waterways and the communities that surround them

Based on Achieving Water Quality Goals

Improves public health, the environment and quality of life and builds community capacity

Makes environmental stewardship relevant to new sectors of society

Green jobs and volunteerism

Sustainable over generations

Restores the urban waterways and the communities that surround them

Working in partnership EPA - OW, OECA, OWOW, ORD, smart growth, green jobs, environmental justice, brownfields and land revitalization, smart growth, Region 3 ACE, HUD, Commerce, US Forest Service, National Park Service, USDA

EPA - OW, OECA, OWOW, ORD, smart growth, green jobs, environmental justice, brownfields and land revitalization, smart growth, Region 3

ACE, HUD, Commerce, US Forest Service, National Park Service, USDA

Clean Water … Green City Credit: Maurer, City of Linz Questions???