Yesterday’s inaugural Soak It Up, Philly! event took place in New Kensington, where the Philadelphia Water Department showed off the Green Streets that are helping to improve the health of Philly’s rivers and streams. Residents of all ages joined city officials and PWD staff to tour the green infrastructure at and around the Shissler Recreation Center that infiltrates stormwater runoff. There were snacks! There was a pair of giant scissors! Photo highlights below—the next Soak It Up, Philly! event is on March 8 at 16th and Jackson streets in South Philly.


From left: Parks and Recreation commissioner Michael DiBerardinis, PWD commissioner Howard Neukrug, New Kensington CDC’s Sandy Salzman and MOTU’s Andrew Stober kick off the celebration.


PWD-sponsored yarnbombing of a stormwater tree trench tree


The artists from ishknits responsible for said yarnbombing


Kids planted daffodils around the trees and were shown a model that demonstrates how a stormwater planter absorbs runoff.


Green projects were decorated with chalk drawings of Indian, Japanese and Egyptian water symbols.