A rolling collection of stories, tips, and news powered by the people of the Philadelphia Water Department.
Over here at the Philadelphia Water Department, there’s no shortage of people who proudly wear the “water geek” badge, and we’ve also got more than a few proponents of all things green and growing.
So, you can imagine our delight after learning that the theme of the 2018 Philadelphia Flower Show would be Wonders of Water.
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In a recent talk hosted by the TTF Watershed Partnership, acclaimed author Richard Louv urged Philadelphia parents to make sure their kids are getting enough “Vitamin N”—as in nature.
Thanks to the new Philadelphia Watershed Stewardship program, West Philadelphia youth can get a healthy dose of nature along with valuable life and career skills. There’s even a stipend to sweeten the pot.
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We recently issued an official “Request for Information,” or RFI, supporting the City’s efforts to grow the footprint of green stormwater infrastructure on private and non-City property.
To help answer any questions and provide more details about why we issued this RFI, we’re hosting an information session on January 10, 2018.
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Bethesda Presbyterian Church sits on a large plot of land in Northeast Philadelphia’s Bustleton neighborhood. The church’s monthly stormwater fees—higher than they would like—reflected the property’s large proportion of impervious surfaces, which put a considerable burden on the local sewers during storms.
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Rain Check—our program best known for providing City residents with free rain barrels—is entering its sixth year with a new website designed to encourage more home landscaping projects that protect local waterways. By visiting the new Rain Check site, residents can now get a jumpstart on sustainable projects in the new year by discovering the best green upgrade for their property…
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Following the 2017 Philadelphia Marathon, Philadelphia Water Department crews shut down and winterized all four Schuylkill River Trail water stations located between the Falls Bridge and Fairmount Water Works. The much-used features—offering fountains, bottle filling stations and ground-level bowls for dog walkers—are taken offline each winter to guard against freezing temperatures…
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As we’ve seen over the last six years, to really transform Philadelphia’s landscape on a scale that’s big enough to have a real impact on our rivers, it takes more than just Water Department crews and contractors building rain gardens. In fact, it takes a whole city working together, not to mention supportive partners…
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The arrival of chilly nights means it’s time to make sure your pipes are protected from cold winter temps that can cause frozen or burst pipes in your home or on your property. While most plumbing is deep enough underground or insulated well enough within your home to avoid freezing, water meters and water service lines can freeze when the temperature drops below 32 degrees in some cases…
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You’re invited to celebrate 1,000 Greened Acres. Can you soak that in? Philly has created one thousand Greened Acres. Yes, it’s impressive … but you want to know the best part? YOU did it: One rain garden, one Rain Check workshop and one Soak It Up Adoption cleanup at a time…
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The Philadelphia Water Department is hosting an open house event for residents and community groups interested in learning about dozens of green stormwater projects planned for construction in the Germantown neighborhood in the coming years. A part of the City’s 25-year Green City, Clean Waters program, the projects are currently in the planning and design stage…
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