@Philly H2O Blog

Infrastructure

News and info about the pipes, plants and people that keep our city running + protect our rivers & creeks.

Stay Informed with PWD’s New Quarterly Construction Newsletter: Spring 2025 Newsletters

April 1, 2025  |  Amy Hopf

PWD has launched a Quarterly Construction Newsletter to keep residents informed about construction projects in their City Council District. Each season, subscribers will receive an email newsletter with a roundup of PWD projects happening in their identified ZIP code’s Council District. These emails are for any Philadelphia resident who wants to learn more about PWD […]

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Oh, DAM! The Manayunk Canal is getting ready to reopen.: The Flat Rock Dam project will wrap up this winter and bring back flowing water.

December 6, 2024  |  Amy Hopf

On a brisk mid-September day, the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) convened at the northern tip of Venice Island in Manayunk. Joined by the Younger Member Forum of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Philadelphia Section, PWD engineers and public engagement staff showed off an important part of the river’s history: the Flat Rock Dam […]

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2023 – 2024 Stormwater Grant Awardees Announced: Local properties will receive funding for new green stormwater infrastructure retrofits.

June 27, 2024  |  Grace Maiorano

For over a decade, dozens of non-residential properties – spanning from schools to businesses – have taken advantage of our Stormwater Grants program. Through this signature PWD resource, we help properties spruce up their spaces and reduce water bills – all while reducing combined sewer overflow pollution in our creeks and rivers. We’re excited to […]

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Get Familiar with the Green Stormwater Infrastructure Construction Timelines: Have you ever wondered why there is a pause after systems are completed?

February 9, 2024  |  Amy Hopf

You may have noticed the Water Department was recently in your neighborhood, building green stormwater systems along sidewalks and intersections to soak up stormwater and beautify the community. Once these systems are built, there is often a gap of time between infrastructure installation and planting of trees and flowers. Have you ever wondered why there […]

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Restorative Ecological Project brings life back to Manayunk Canal: The closed trail section between Manayunk and Shawmont officially reopens on Saturday, March 30, 2024.

August 25, 2023  |  Amy Hopf

Schuylkill River Trail Closure – March 2024 Update: The trail section between Manayunk and Shawmont that was previously closed for the last 6 months officially reopens on Saturday, March 30, 2024. Schuylkill River Trail Closure – January 2024 Update: Due to site conditions, work for the Flat Rock Dam Betterment project has been delayed. The […]

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2022-2023 Stormwater Grant Awardees: A variety of locally based properties will receive funding for new green retrofits.

August 9, 2023  |  Grace Maiorano

From a historic chocolate factory to an affordable housing complex, sites across the city are slated to receive new green stormwater infrastructure (GSI). Created to manage stormwater while reducing bill costs, these green systems will soon be installed on 14 more properties thanks to our Stormwater Grants Program. Distributed through two rounds of grants each […]

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Spotlight on Award-Winning West Philly Green Stormwater Project: The 53rd and Baltimore Green and "Complete" Streets project helps reduce sewer overflows while making the area safer.

August 4, 2023  |  Grace Maiorano

A core component of Green City, Clean Waters includes creating benefits beyond meeting mandated clean water regulations, as exemplified by a recent project at 53rd and Baltimore, which won the Sustainable Business Network’s 2023 Excellence in Public Project GSI Award this past spring.

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Learn About Local PWD Work with Construction Project Pages: This handy tool lets residents check the status of construction projects in their neighborhood

July 31, 2023  |  Amy Hopf
A laptop screen viewed at a bit of an angle shows a full screen browser open to a PWD "project page" on water.phila.gov, scrolled down to near the bottom of the page where we list the names, positions, emails, and phone numbers as available for people you can contact directly for issues or questions about a project. The image is annotated with a red rectangle around this section labeled "Contact Information" (this note does not appear on the actual website)

Have you ever noticed Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) construction in your neighborhood and wanted to know more about the project? We have a handy new(ish) tool that gives each project a home on our website: PWD Project Pages These pages let residents find projects in their communities, learn what will be accomplished by the work, and […]

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