You might have heard: Philadelphia is celebrating five years of Green City, Clean Waters, a massive green investment in neighborhoods that is now keeping 1.5 billion gallons of polluted water out of our waterways over the course of a typical year of rainfall.

Philadelphia Water gathered with the wide range of partners who made beating our five-year targets for greening and pollution reduction possible to mark that achievement at the Fairmount Water Works last week. (See great photos of the event here.) The celebration included speeches from our commissioner, Debra McCarty, and representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency and Pa. Dept. of Environmental Protection.

City of Philadelphia Managing Director Michael DiBerardinis—one of Philadelphia’s most dedicated advocates for improved recreation and green spaces—praised the program as a “model for America.”

We also debuted a sort of “greatest hits” video that highlights the ways Green City, Clean Waters has enriched so many different aspects of life in Philadelphia while making our rivers and creeks cleaner than they’ve been in centuries. For those who missed our “5 Down” event, we’re posting the video below.

You’ll hear from Mayor Kenney, residents, the EPA, businesses that work to create GSI, partners like the Philadelphia Zoo who have used green investments to improve their facilities, members of the life-changing PowerCorpsPHL program, and more.

We’re also sharing the rousing speech from Managing Director DiBerardinis and Commissioner McCarty’s big announcement. Enjoy, and be sure to share!

Philadelphia Water Commissioner Debra McCarty: We Beat Five-Year Targets

Managing Director Michael DiBerardinis: Green City, Clean Waters is a model for America