A rolling collection of stories, tips, and news powered by the people of the Philadelphia Water Department.
Starting in 2015, the Philadelphia Water Department’s Public Engagement team began recording conversations with members of the Cobbs Creek community. The goal? To better understand how people feel about Cobbs Creek—one of Philadelphia’s seven major watersheds—and what they want to see for the neighborhood, the park, and the stream. You can get a sneak peek…
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When leadership at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia decided to create a brand-new, centralized facility for pediatric care, their primary concern was easing the stress young patients and their families often face while undergoing treatment. Today, that vision is recognized at the 12-story Buerger Center, a colorful University City building that opened in 2015…
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Our Rain Check photo contest has been a big hit: over 100 residents submitted photos of their green stormwater tools! To narrow it down, the Rain Check team picked the top 25—not an easy task, given the diverse mix of very cool projects represented in the entries. All who sent in a photo deserve a big thank you…
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In Philadelphia, we’re lucky to have more pools and spray grounds per resident than any other city in the U.S. Because we have all those great, free places to cool off, there’s no reason to open fire hydrants when the weather gets hot or risk swimming in our unpredictable rivers, where drowning is always a risk. Opening hydrants can cause a number of dangerous situations…
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The site of Roxborough’s Pocket Park project, nestled between two buildings along Ridge Avenue, now features the beginnings of a water- and history-themed mural—a bright new addition to a still-developing space that the community hopes will be a keystone attraction for residents and visitors…
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Following a successful June 10 community cleanup with Point Breeze neighbors that targeted a vacant lot at Point Breeze Avenue and Mifflin Street, we’re heading back to the space this Thursday for a special event with Philly’s Public Workshop. Residents are invited to join this collaborative “community build”…
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Philadelphia residents have 24/7 access to top-quality water, a fact that they check themselves thanks to annual reports the Philadelphia Water Department releases detailing a year’s worth of data. This transparency is a defining quality for public water providers like PWD, and we take pride in the tremendous effort that goes into the constant monitoring done at our labs…
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Members of the Philadelphia Water Department’s Public Engagement team joined the local non-profit Diversified Community Services and area block captains on June 10 to clean the publicly-owned lot at Point Breeze Avenue and Mifflin Street—the future home of a rain garden that will soak up stormwater and bring regular maintenance to the site through Philadelphia’s Green City, Clean Waters program.
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While most Philadelphia students were heading home early due a heat wave this past Tuesday, four 11th grade students from Mariana Bracetti Academy were busy suiting up in full-body chest waders, a necessary piece of gear for the mission at hand: launching a submersible, camera-equipped drone in Frankford Creek.
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Adding our storm drain markers—each with a unique type of aquatic wildlife depending on your watershed—to your block can start a conversation with neighbors about how communities can protect local waterways. Many people don’t realize that what goes down storm drains can harm local animals like otters, turtles, herons, endangered fish and more…
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