Green City, Clean Waters Video: Philadelphia Manages Stormwater with "Green Infrastructure"
Green City, Clean Waters
When it rains in the City of Brotherly Love, problems soon follow because more than half the city has “combined” sewers – pipes that carry both storm water and sewage. When it rains, the system fills quickly. The surplus, which includes raw sewage and road oil, backs up into basements and gushes untreated into rivers through 164 overflow pipes.
Instead of going the route of many other cities and building miles-long, multibillion-dollar tunnels to hold storm-water overflows — and then pumping it back into the system when the rain stops — Philadelphia’s 20-year stormwater management plan is based on “green infrastructure” and offers benefits that can be appreciated above the ground.
Philadelphia’s plan envisions transforming the city into an oasis of rain gardens, green roofs, treescapes, and porous pavements, which advocates say is cheaper than tunnels and makes for a more liveable, prettier city with higher property values and better community health.
Philadelphia has produced a video that explains how this green vision will be accomplished over time.
To Watch the Video
Click on Green City, Blue Waters from the GreenTreks Network to learn how the City of Philadelphia is reducing rainwater runoff and stormwater infrastructure costs using “green infrastructure”.
About the GreenTreks Network:
GreenTreks Network is an award-winning non-profit whose mission is moving people to take action towards a more sustainable lifestyle. GreenTreks mobilize all modes of communication to share the personal stories of ordinary individuals doing extraordinary things for a healthier, more prosperous future—and inspire others to become involved. Telling Stories that Change the World.
Philadelphia’s Bold Plan
To read more about Philadelphia’s bold plan for green infrastructure, click on these links to access stories previously published on Water Bucket :
- Clean Water….Green City: Blending the interests of land and water in Philadelphia
- Philadelphia’s bold plan for rainwater/stormwater management envisions “giant sponge”
- Philadelphia plans to invest $1.6 billion to turn a third of city green in next 20 years
And click here to access the homepage for the Philadelphia Water Department’s Office of Watersheds.
