{"id":678,"date":"2015-11-10T11:16:00","date_gmt":"2015-11-10T16:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/out-pasture-philly-tours-farms-protecting-our-source-water\/"},"modified":"2022-12-03T13:34:28","modified_gmt":"2022-12-03T18:34:28","slug":"out-pasture-philly-tours-farms-protecting-our-source-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/out-pasture-philly-tours-farms-protecting-our-source-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Out to Pasture: Philly Tours Farms Protecting Our Source Water"},"content":{"rendered":"<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #ffffff; margin: 1px; padding: 0px; border-radius: 3px; border: 0px currentColor; width: calc(100% - 2px); max-width: 658px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 1px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.5), 0px 1px 10px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);\">\n<div style=\"padding: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background: #f8f8f8; padding: 50% 0px; width: 100%; text-align: center; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<p style=\"padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; color: #c9c8cd; line-height: 17px; overflow: hidden; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 0px; white-space: nowrap;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/p\/9wLNn0lIsC\/\" style=\"color: #c9c8cd; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">A photo posted by Philadelphia Water (@phillyh2o)<\/a> on Nov 6, 2015 at 10:03am PST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<em><span style=\"font-size: x-small;\">Philadelphia Water toured Berks Co. farms on Friday, November 7 with Berks Nature. Credit: <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Rad_PHL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Brian Rademaekers<\/a>\/Philadelphia Water<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>KEMPTON, PA <\/strong><span ar-sa=\"\" style=\"line-height: 115%; font-family: \">\u2014<\/span> <span style=\"font-size: small;\">P<\/span>ointing to a towering, soggy heap of what he calls &#8220;slop,&#8221; Larry Lloyd traces with his finger a stream of water running from the base of\u00a0a manure pile to a small drainage pipe that connects to an adjacent creek.<\/p>\n<p>Nearby, rows of cows and calves calmly and mechanically chew hay. Without much noticing it, they are simultaneously creating what seems to be an endless supply of fresh manure for farmers to stack into yet more heaps. It\u2019s hay in one end, water-polluting manure out the other.<\/p>\n<p>And it never stops.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This is what we\u2019re up against,&#8221; says Lloyd, a lanky, weather-tanned man in his 60s who sports a baseball cap and a pair of boots well-suited for his manure-rich job\u2014 getting local farmers to adopt smart runoff management practices.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #ffffff; margin: 1px; padding: 0px; border-radius: 3px; border: 0px currentColor; width: calc(100% - 2px); max-width: 658px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 1px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.5), 0px 1px 10px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);\">\n<div style=\"padding: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background: #f8f8f8; padding: 50% 0px; width: 100%; text-align: center; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 4px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/p\/9wJm_TlIpX\/\" style=\"color: #000000; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8220;Even without rain, this manure heap is leaking pollution that seeps into a pipe, which feeds right into a stream. This is what we&#39;re up against.&#8221; Larry Lloyd of Berks County Conservancy explaining why this farm is targeted for a $100K #stormwater #runoff management project. #cleanwatersphl #philly #farming #waterpollution<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; color: #c9c8cd; line-height: 17px; overflow: hidden; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 0px; white-space: nowrap;\">A photo posted by Philadelphia Water (@phillyh2o) on Nov 6, 2015 at 9:49am PST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Lloyd, an ecologist, works for <a href=\"http:\/\/www.berksnature.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Berks Nature<\/a>, a nonprofit (known for most of its 41 years as the Berks County Conservancy) that preserves green space, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.berksnature.org\/schuylkill-river\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">protects waterways<\/a> and provides environmental education in Berks County. On this day, Lloyd is giving a tour of watershed-minded farms to planners, engineers and water quality scientists from <a href=\"http:\/\/www.phila.gov\/water\/wu\/Pages\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Philadelphia Water<\/a>\u00a0and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.delawareestuary.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Partnership for the Delaware Estuary<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>What, you might ask, is a big city water utility doing out in the country with a bunch of cows?<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #ffffff; margin: 1px; padding: 0px; border-radius: 3px; border: 0px currentColor; width: calc(100% - 2px); max-width: 658px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 1px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.5), 0px 1px 10px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);\">\n<div style=\"padding: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background: #f8f8f8; padding: 50% 0px; width: 100%; text-align: center; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 4px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/p\/9v8AW_lIgU\/\" style=\"color: #000000; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Larry Lloyd with Berks County Conservancy explains how the David Rice dairy farm keeps manure and runoff out of the #SchuylkillRiver #watershed with a specialized containment system built with the help of the Natural Resources Conservation Service. #philadelphia #philly<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; color: #c9c8cd; line-height: 17px; overflow: hidden; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 0px; white-space: nowrap;\">A photo posted by Philadelphia Water (@phillyh2o) on Nov 6, 2015 at 7:50am PST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not something most people think about when they turn on their tap and access safe drinking water, but Philadelphia Water works with a wide array of partners to protect the source of our drinking water <em>way<\/em> before it ever gets to the treatment plant intakes on the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers.<\/p>\n<p>Much of that work is organized\u00a0under our <a href=\"http:\/\/www.phillywatersheds.org\/watershed_issues\/water_quality_quantity\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source Water Protection Program<\/a>, including the work done with local farms to protect watersheds from agricultural runoff.<\/p>\n<p>One tool\u00a0they use to connect with farms and other stakeholders in the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.phillywatersheds.org\/your_watershed\/schuylkill\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Schuylkill Watershed<\/a> is the<a href=\"http:\/\/www.schuylkillriver.org\/restoration_fund.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Schuylkill River Restoration Fund<\/a>\u00a0(SRRF), a grant program organized by the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.schuylkillriver.org\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Schuylkill River Heritage Area<\/a>. Philadelphia Water has been participating in the grant program for six years, allowing us to contribute\u00a0to watershed protection projects that are both close to home and farther upstream.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #ffffff; margin: 1px; padding: 0px; border-radius: 3px; border: 0px currentColor; width: calc(100% - 2px); max-width: 658px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 1px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.5), 0px 1px 10px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);\">\n<div style=\"padding: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background: #f8f8f8; padding: 50% 0px; width: 100%; text-align: center; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 4px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/p\/96GAUPlImp\/\" style=\"color: #000000; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#Latergram &#8211; Partners gathered at the Rice farm in Kempton, #berkscounty to announce $278,623 in grants awarded through the #SchuylkillRiver Restoration Fund. We&#39;ll be posting about the projects funded @ phillywatershed.org\/blog!<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; color: #c9c8cd; line-height: 17px; overflow: hidden; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 0px; white-space: nowrap;\">A photo posted by Philadelphia Water (@phillyh2o) on Nov 10, 2015 at 6:30am PST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For example, some of the funding we&#39;ve contributed to the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund (SRRF) in 2015 will go toward new stormwater management tools at <a href=\"http:\/\/jamesdobsonhsa.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dobson Elementary School<\/a> in Manayunk, which include a managed native meadow at the entrance of the school and a woodland walkway around the perimeter.<\/p>\n<p>But our 2015 contribution is also helping to fund stormwater runoff projects at three farms in Berks County. In all, Philadelphia Water joined\u00a0four other funders to contribute a total of $319,792 to the SRRF this year.<br \/>\nOther watershed partners that contribute to the SRRF include Exelon, Coca-Cola, Aqua Pennsylvania, and MOM\u2019s Organic Market.<\/p>\n<p>In September, the Schuylkill River Heritage Area announced plans to distribute $278,623 of that to 10 projects across southeastern\u00a0Pennsylvania\u00a0aimed at improving water quality in the Schuylkill River and tributaries.(<a href=\"http:\/\/www.schuylkillriver.org\/grants\/2015%20Project%20Summaries.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Click here to see a full list of 2015 projects.<\/a>)\u00a0<em>(Sorry, this content is no longer available)<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #ffffff; margin: 1px; padding: 0px; border-radius: 3px; border: 0px currentColor; width: calc(100% - 2px); max-width: 658px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 1px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.5), 0px 1px 10px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);\">\n<div style=\"padding: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background: #f8f8f8; padding: 50% 0px; width: 100%; text-align: center; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 4px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/p\/9wDQgdFItN\/\" style=\"color: #000000; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">This large manure containment basin protects #Philly&#39;s drinking #water source by keeping pollutants out of local streams. Part of our partnership with the #SchuylkillRiver Restoration Fund.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; color: #c9c8cd; line-height: 17px; overflow: hidden; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 0px; white-space: nowrap;\">A photo posted by Philadelphia Water (@phillyh2o) on Nov 6, 2015 at 8:54am PST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>At the\u00a0Donald Rice farm in Berks County, two dry manure storage facilities will be installed along with a waste transfer system, barnyard controls, rain gutters and a lined outlet. These improvements will significantly reduce the amount of nutrients and pollutants entering the nearby Maiden Creek and Schuylkill River watershed.<\/p>\n<p>At the Biehl and Kurtz farms, also located in the Maiden Creek Watershed, two in-ground manure storage structures (seen above)\u00a0will be installed at the Kurtz farm, and a storage pit will be installed at the Biehl family farm. The Biehl farm project will also include a waste transfer system, rain gutters and more.<\/p>\n<p>So, why should someone in Philadelphia care what these farmers do with their land? These projects are extremely important because <strong><a href=\"http:\/\/water.epa.gov\/infrastructure\/drinkingwater\/sourcewater\/protection\/casestudies\/upload\/Source-Water-Case-Study-PA-Philadelphia.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stormwater is the number one source of pollution in the Schuylkill River<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>With programs like <a href=\"http:\/\/phillywatersheds.org\/what_were_doing\/documents_and_data\/cso_long_term_control_plan\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Green City, Clean Waters<\/a> that are designed to manage stormwater that comes from impermeable surfaces like parking lots, roofs and streets, we often think of stormwater pollution as an urban issue.<\/p>\n<p>But stormwater in the rural areas upstream from Philadelphia comes with its own set of issues and pollutants, including excessive nutrients in the water\u00a0and harmful organisms found in fields and animal waste.<\/p>\n<p>When uncontrolled stormwater washes that stuff into our streams and rivers, it can <a href=\"http:\/\/water.epa.gov\/polwaste\/nps\/agriculture_facts.cfm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cause a variety of environmental and health issues<\/a> and makes it harder and more expensive to treat drinking water.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #ffffff; margin: 1px; padding: 0px; border-radius: 3px; border: 0px currentColor; width: calc(100% - 2px); max-width: 658px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 1px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.5), 0px 1px 10px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);\">\n<div style=\"padding: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background: #f8f8f8; padding: 50% 0px; width: 100%; text-align: center; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 4px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/p\/9wB6bZFIq9\/\" style=\"color: #000000; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Manure as a pollutant &#8211; it&#39;s no joke. Did you know #Philly works with farmers upstream to protect the rivers that provide #philadelphia with its drinking water? We&#39;re all about #sourcewater protection and proactive watershed management. Much better to keep the pollution out rather than treat it after the fact. #SchuylkillRiver #farms<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; color: #c9c8cd; line-height: 17px; overflow: hidden; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 0px; white-space: nowrap;\">A photo posted by Philadelphia Water (@phillyh2o) on Nov 6, 2015 at 8:42am PST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>While taking a proactive approach to protecting source water is part of a broad strategy at Philadelphia Water, working with upstream farms <a href=\"http:\/\/water.epa.gov\/lawsregs\/rulesregs\/sdwa\/lt2\/regs_factsheet.cfm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">also falls under a regulatory obligation<\/a>, defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Pa. Department of Environmental Protection, to reduce the impacts of a pathogen known as\u00a0<em><a href=\"http:\/\/water.epa.gov\/drink\/contaminants\/basicinformation\/pathogens.cfm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cryptosporidium<\/a><\/em> in source water.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike most water-borne pathogens, <em>Cryptosporidium<\/em>, which can cause stomach illnesses, is hard to kill with chlorine and can add significant costs to drinking water treatment. Untreated agricultural waste is one of\u00a0the leading sources of cryptosporidium, so investing in structures that keep runoff and\u00a0animal waste\u00a0on farms (and out of streams and rivers!) can make water safer and reduce treatment costs.<\/p>\n<p>If you&#39;re a real water quality geek, you\u00a0can nerd-out and read\u00a0the full 2014 report on our Watershed Control Plan<a href=\"http:\/\/phillywatersheds.org\/doc\/PWD%20WCP%202014%20Annual%20Status%20Report_January%202015.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> for fighting &#8220;<em>Crypto<\/em>&#8221; by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #ffffff; margin: 1px; padding: 0px; border-radius: 3px; border: 0px currentColor; width: calc(100% - 2px); max-width: 658px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 1px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.5), 0px 1px 10px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);\">\n<div style=\"padding: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background: #f8f8f8; padding: 50% 0px; width: 100%; text-align: center; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 4px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/p\/9wFOZrFIgv\/\" style=\"color: #000000; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">When it rains, waste from this Berks Co. farm gets washed into this basin instead of #Philly&#39;s drinking water source. Funded in part through our partnership with Schuylkill Watershed Restoration Fund.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; color: #c9c8cd; line-height: 17px; overflow: hidden; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 0px; white-space: nowrap;\">A photo posted by Philadelphia Water (@phillyh2o) on Nov 6, 2015 at 9:11am PST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Contributing to the Schuylkill River Restoration Fund is a smart investment for downstream water consumers like us, but it\u2019s\u00a0an\u00a0equally smart investment for the farmers, who also help cover the costs of runoff control projects.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We try to make the cost to the farmer as close to zero as possible, but they all do something on their end to make these projects work,&#8221;\u00a0 says Berks Nature\u2019s Lloyd. &#8220;The interaction also gives us a chance to educate them and get them into a\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.nrcs.usda.gov\/Internet\/FSE_DOCUMENTS\/stelprdb1166381.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">nutrient control plan<\/a>. We have to teach them to give up bad practices, like stacking manure in open-air heaps, which they\u2019ve been doing for 60 years because that\u2019s the way it\u2019s always been done.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"\/sites\/default\/files2\/AGMAP1.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">&#8220;best management practices&#8221; promoted by Berks Nature<\/a> and the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.schuylkillwaters.org\/projects_agricultural.cfm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Schuylkill Action Network<\/a>, Lloyd says, can lead to a better bottom line for everyone involved.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It\u2019s the farmers\u2019 money that\u2019s getting washed into the streams because they have to go and pay for fertilizer once they lose those nutrients,&#8221; notes Lloyd. &#8220;And then we all have to pay to remove all that stuff from the water, so it\u2019s a loss for everyone.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #ffffff; margin: 1px; padding: 0px; border-radius: 3px; border: 0px currentColor; width: calc(100% - 2px); max-width: 658px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 1px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.5), 0px 1px 10px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);\">\n<div style=\"padding: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background: #f8f8f8; padding: 50% 0px; width: 100%; text-align: center; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 4px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/p\/9wFvNvFIhx\/\" style=\"color: #000000; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Berks Co. dairy farmer Dalton Biehl on why he works with the Schuylkill Watershed Restoration Fund &#038; #Philadelphia #Water to protect #sourcewater.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; color: #c9c8cd; line-height: 17px; overflow: hidden; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 0px; white-space: nowrap;\">A photo posted by Philadelphia Water (@phillyh2o) on Nov 6, 2015 at 9:15am PST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Berks Co. dairy farmer Dalton Biehl (above),\u00a0of the Biehl\u00a0family&#39;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Corner-View-Farm-187976834660585\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Corner View\u00a0farm<\/a>\u00a0in Kutztown, also sees the more direct benefit of protecting the local watersheds\u2014his farm, and everyone else, needs good clean water to survive.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You can live without milk, and you can live without bread, but water is the most important resource we have. Even our cows need good clean water,&#8221; Biehl observed during Philadelphia Water\u2019s tour of his already extensive runoff control systems.<\/p>\n<p>And that, folks, is a fact you&#39;ll hear us singing until the cows come home.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" style=\"background: #ffffff; margin: 1px; padding: 0px; border-radius: 3px; border: 0px currentColor; width: calc(100% - 2px); max-width: 658px; box-shadow: 0px 0px 1px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.5), 0px 1px 10px 0px rgba(0,0,0,0.15);\">\n<div style=\"padding: 8px;\">\n<div style=\"background: #f8f8f8; padding: 50% 0px; width: 100%; text-align: center; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px;\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<p style=\"margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px 4px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/instagram.com\/p\/9v-XKvlIkp\/\" style=\"color: #000000; line-height: 17px; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none;\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Our Source Water team checks in our runoff controls designed to keep her manure from washing into the #SchuylkillRiver, where it can cause environmental issues.<\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding: 8px 0px 7px; text-align: center; color: #c9c8cd; line-height: 17px; overflow: hidden; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin-top: 8px; margin-bottom: 0px; white-space: nowrap;\">A photo posted by Philadelphia Water (@phillyh2o) on Nov 6, 2015 at 8:11am PST<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script src=\"\/\/platform.instagram.com\/en_US\/embeds.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>KEMPTON, PA \u2014 Pointing to a towering, soggy heap of what he calls &#8220;slop,&#8221; Larry Lloyd traces with his finger a stream of water running from the base of a manure pile to a small drainage pipe that connects to an adjacent creek.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"custom_css":"","custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[10,43,83,84,88],"class_list":["post-678","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-community","tag-berks-county","tag-green-city-clean-waters","tag-schuylkill-river","tag-schuylkill-watershed","tag-sourcewater-watershed-protection","wpautop"],"acf":{"suggested":null},"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/phila.gov\/blog\/out-pasture-philly-tours-farms-protecting-our-source-water\/","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Out to Pasture: Philly Tours Farms Protecting Our Source Water","url":"http:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/out-pasture-philly-tours-farms-protecting-our-source-water\/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/out-pasture-philly-tours-farms-protecting-our-source-water\/"},"thumbnailUrl":"","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":""},"articleSection":"Community","author":[],"creator":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"@PhillyH2O Blog","logo":""},"keywords":["berks county","green city\u201a clean waters","schuylkill river","schuylkill watershed","sourcewater\/watershed protection"],"dateCreated":"2015-11-10T16:16:00Z","datePublished":"2015-11-10T16:16:00Z","dateModified":"2022-12-03T18:34:28Z"},"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"wp-parsely-metadata\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"NewsArticle\",\"headline\":\"Out to Pasture: Philly Tours Farms Protecting Our Source Water\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/water.phila.gov\\\/blog\\\/out-pasture-philly-tours-farms-protecting-our-source-water\\\/\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\\\/\\\/water.phila.gov\\\/blog\\\/out-pasture-philly-tours-farms-protecting-our-source-water\\\/\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"url\":\"\"},\"articleSection\":\"Community\",\"author\":[],\"creator\":[],\"publisher\":{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"name\":\"@PhillyH2O Blog\",\"logo\":\"\"},\"keywords\":[\"berks county\",\"green city\\u201a clean waters\",\"schuylkill river\",\"schuylkill watershed\",\"sourcewater\\\/watershed protection\"],\"dateCreated\":\"2015-11-10T16:16:00Z\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-11-10T16:16:00Z\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-12-03T18:34:28Z\"}<\/script>","tracker_url":"https:\/\/cdn.parsely.com\/keys\/phila.gov\/p.js"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/678","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=678"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/678\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/water.phila.gov\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}