Students and parents cut the ribbon at Lea Elementary in 2016 to celebrate the completion of a schoolyard featuring three rain gardens, nearly two dozen new trees and porous paving and play surfaces. Funded largely through a $242,000 SMIP grant from PWD, the project won the Public Project Award at the 2016 Excellence in GSI Awards ceremony. Credit: PWD

Students and parents cut the ribbon at Lea Elementary in 2016 to celebrate the completion of a schoolyard featuring three rain gardens, nearly two dozen new trees and porous paving and play surfaces. Funded largely through a $242,000 SMIP grant from PWD, the project won the Public Project Award at the 2016 Excellence in GSI Awards ceremony. Credit: PWD

What projects and people are making an impact on green stormwater infrastructure in our region?

Last year saw the first-ever Excellence in GSI Awards, an effort by the Sustainable Business Network's Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Partners to answer that question and highlight the best in local green stormwater projects and the people making them happen.

The Philadelphia Water Dept. was honored to have associations with two of 2016's five award winners: retired PWD Commissioner Howard Neukrug took home the inaugural Leadership in GSI Award for his role in guiding the creation of the City's 25-year Green City, Clean Waters program, and West Philadelphia's Lea Elementary received the Public Project Award for green schoolyard renovations made with the help of a PWD Stormwater Management Incentives Program (SMIP) grant.

SBN and GSI Partners are currently seeking nominations for 2017, and the deadline to submit a completed nomination form is Friday January 27. The awards ceremony will be held Thursday May 11 at the Fringe Arts building in Old City. You can view the nomination requirements here.

As the region's only award ceremony “that celebrates and elevates green stormwater infrastructure projects, the triple bottom line (TBL) benefits of GSI, and the many project partners who make these projects successful,” the Excellence in GSI Awards are a unique opportunity to showcase the innovation that makes Philadelphia a national leader in green infrastructure.

For 2017, awards will be given for the following categories:

  • Public Projects: Projects managed at least in part by a public agency and/or on public property (local, city, state, federal).
  • Private Projects: Projects managed by a private entity and/or on private property.
  • Early Adopters: Public or Private projects 10 years or older.
  • Research in GSI: Peer-reviewed, published, and/or presented academic, non-profit, government, or private research on one or more elements of the triple bottom line performance of GSI.
  • Leadership in GSI: An individual whose work has transformed the understanding and/or use of GSI in the Greater Philadelphia region.

With so many exciting projects and programs underway in Philadelphia and the surrounding area, the selection committee is bound to have some tough choices.

Make sure your project or program is one they consider—head to their page now and start nominating!