Green City Clean Waters

Philadelphia’s combined sewer system serves about 60 percent of the city. During wet weather, this older section of our system often overflows. As a result, billions of gallons of stormwater and diluted sewage flow into local waterways each year.

State and federal regulations, including sections of the Clean Water Act, require Philadelphia to reduce at least 85 percent of this pollution—or face steep fines.

Celebrating a Decade in the Community
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What is Green City, Clean Waters?

To meet state and federal regulations, we created Green City, Clean Waters: a 25-year plan to reduce the volume of stormwater entering combined sewers using green infrastructure and to expand stormwater treatment capacity with traditional infrastructure improvements.

The effort officially began in 2011 and Philadelphia is scheduled to meet pollution reduction goals by 2036, in accordance with our Long Term Control Plan.

Continue to push Green City, Clean Waters in the community. This is the best face of the Water Department.

Respondent, 2018 PWD Customer Survey

Why Green City, Clean Waters?

Cleaner waters, greener neighborhoods

Green City, Clean Waters is making our neighborhoods greener, more vibrant places to live and creating a healthier, more sustainable Philadelphia. Our plan is to reduce pollution and stormwater entering the sewer system under our feet in a way that also enhances the spaces where we live, work, and play.

Leading with green solutions benefits our city beyond cleaner waterways: 

Environmental

Using plants in green tools benefits our environment

Reducing carbon dioxide and filtering out pollutants like those created by cars creates improved air quality.

Trees shade humans and buildings, saving energy that would be used for air conditioning and reducing the heat island impact. GSI packages are being planned for the most heat-stressed regions of the city, including North and West Philadelphia.

Native plants and flowers support important wildlife, including pollinators, such as bees, and larger species, like birds.

Green Infrastructure helps our city prepare for climate change.

Economic

Investing in green tools boosts Philadelphia’s economy

Building and maintaining green stormwater tools creates local jobs, as evidenced by PHLPowerCorps.

Studies have shown that creating tree-lined streets and green spaces near residential streets can  increase property values.

Having clean rivers attracts and promotes recreation, infusing millions of tourism dollars into our local economy. Already, the Schuylkill alone generates $589.9 million in economic impact, supports 6,154 jobs, and creates $37.7 million in tax revenue for the region each year.

GCCW promotes investment in local businesses, including planning, design, construction, and maintenance firms.

Social

Adding green tools creates healthier communities

Restoring our waterways provides better spaces to hike, bike, boat, fish, and enjoy nature.

Living on blocks with greenery encourages spending time outside, which means more exercise and time with neighbors.

Collaborating with local residents to maintain and beautify neighborhoods through programs is good for communities. Check out Soak It Up Adoption.

Research indicates that greening Philadelphia’s neighborhoods fosters social equity, as well as reductions in local crime and stress.

Leveraging Green City, Clean Waters

Every property served by the combined sewer system is an opportunity to manage stormwater and reduce overflows. As green stormwater tools are being installed at a recreation center, parking lot, or school, there are often opportunities for additional improvements.

Likewise, there are often opportunities to make green stormwater features part of other needed upgrades, like renovations to athletic fields. By looking for ways Green City, Clean Waters can make projects better, we find new opportunities to reduce pollution.

See our GSI Strategic Framework for details on how we’ll meet our goals →

A decade of progress

Green City, Clean Waters continues to make tremendous progress since launching in 2011. We exceeded our 10-year pollution reduction goal, with new infrastructure investments now keeping nearly three billion gallons of stormwater runoff and sewer overflow out of local waterways.

We’ve installed more than 2,800 green tools…

…at nearly 800 sites throughout the city…

…keeping more than 2.7 billion gallons of polluted water out of our rivers.

For more details, see the city’s CSO Long Term Control Plan and Annual Reports →

Survey Says…

Nearly half of surveyed residents are willing to pay more on their water bills if the money is used directly for priority issues like clean water and climate change.

A Decade in the Community▸

As Green City, Clean Waters continues to grow the city’s green infrastructure network, the initiative has strong support from Philadelphians who want to see their money invested in sustainability.

Our customers consistently rank cleaning up waterways and adapting for climate change right below safe drinking water when it comes to their most important issues, according to annual surveys.

As Green City, Clean Waters gets ready to celebrate its tenth anniversary this spring, take a look at 5 Down, 20 to Go or an illustrated overview of the first five years of the initiative.

The Green Initiatives are superb… keep them up.

Respondent, 2019 PWD Customer Survey

All photographs © PWD, unless otherwise noted.