@Philly H2O Blog

All posts tagged: Tips and How-To

So Many Ways to Keep Cool in Philadelphia: Opening Hydrants? Not One of Them

July 13, 2017  |  Brian Rademaekers

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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Can You Decode Street Paint?

May 18, 2017  |  Brian Rademaekers

Beneath your feet, there’s an invisible universe of infrastructure. This world is hidden from view, but painted lines on the surface reveal exactly what’s there—if you know what to look for…

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PSA from Your Dog: Smart Deicing Tips to Protect the Environment and Pets

January 5, 2017  |  Brian Rademaekers

Did you know using too much salt and other ice-melting chemicals can hurt pet paws? Smart use of deicing products can also help minimize impacts on our watersheds. If you’re the kind of person who thinks about the health of our urban watersheds, you’ve probably wondered if using too much salt on driveways and sidewalks can hurt Philly’s rivers and creeks.

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Green Tools: Six Ways They Can Make a Climate Changed-Future a Little Less Scary

June 12, 2015  |  Brian Rademaekers

The EPA graphic focuses on urban areas and paints a grim picture of the future awaiting cities as the effects of climate change intensify in the coming decades. Considering the already staggering cost of flooding events stemming from super-storms like Hurricane Sandy, the projection of a 30 percent increase in annual flood costs is especially troubling.

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Fresh Tools for a Greener City: Retrofit Guide, New App

June 3, 2015  |  Brian Rademaekers

In response to rapidly growing interest from non-residential customers, Philadelphia Water is proud to present the Stormwater Retrofit Guidance Manual. The 186-page manual is designed for those customers poised to benefit the most from adding cost-saving green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) to their buildings and grounds. Bringing this customer base into Philadelphia’s green movement is a key par

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Thanks to Our Cold Weather Heroes!

February 27, 2015  |  Abby Sullivan

If you’ve been listening to the radio or watching TV news any morning over the last couple months, you’ve undoubtedly heard several reports about broken water mains all over the region. Though we’ve been able to dodge the snowfall that has made life very difficult in other cities, the extreme swings in temperature have done a number on our pipes.

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Cold Weather Tips from PWD

January 7, 2015  |  Public Affairs

With temperatures dipping into the single digits this week, it’s a great time to share our cold weather tips for winterizing your water system. Early action can help you avoid costly repairs to your pipes and water meter. Here are our tips to keep out the cold:

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