Green City... Clean Water

Green City… Clean Water

Blending interests of land and water

Howard M. Neukrug, PE

Director, Office of Watersheds

City of Philadelphia

Philadelphia Water Department Office of Watersheds

• An integrated utility:

• Drinking Water

• Wastewater

• Stormwater

• A new integrated approach:

• Land

• Waterways

• Infrastructure

• Community


Combined Sewer Overflow Long Term

Control Plan Update

(CSO LTCPU)

• $1.6 billion, 20 year program

• Upgrade WPCP wet-weather capacity

• Restore and protect all urban streams

• “Green” 1/3rd of the city in 20 years

• Reduce overflow volume by half


Weaknesses of the plan:

• Overflows will continue

• Costs will exceed affordable limits

• Upstream – no changes

• The plan relies on strong utility

leadership, partnerships, fiscal

responsibility, innovation and..

• a city that is striving to become a

growing, sustainable city

(we need a sustainable city to have a

sustainable utility and the city needs

this plan to become sustainable)

Why is Green Infrastructure Critical to Philadelphia?

• Continuing the old approach is unsustainable• Environmental justice• Shrinking cities• Old infrastructure• Large percentage of low income households

• New opportunities• The Greenest City in America• Time of large-scale community renewal• New focus of sustainability, urban waters,

open space, Climate change

Vacant land becomes the Lower Mill Creek Garden

A new approachfor SUSTAINBLE Cities!!

MSU Green Roof Research Program (courtesy Old House Journal)

Innovations

Depaving Party in Portland, Oregon

Brent Wojahn / The Oregonian

“Breaking stuff is fun!”

Air Gardens

Image: Todo Design and Das Studio

Green Roofs around the world

Fukuoka City, Japan. A garden roof with 35,000 plants in low, landscaped terraces that step down into a park.

New Thinking About Philly Streetscapes

The History of Water Guns

Springside School

Greywater Guerillas

Urban Farmers: Vacant lots to Markets

Todd Heisler/The New York Times

Photo by Hannah Y Juan/Plantings by displaced people inBogota’s main plaza

Biomimicry

Janice Konstantinidis

Long as I remember the rain been comin’ down.Clouds of mystry pourin confusion on the ground.Good men through the ages, tryin to find the sun;And I wonder, still I wonder, who’ll stop the rain?

-Creedence Clearwater Revival

Sustainable Site Design

Courtesy of WRT and PennPraxis

Planning for land can improve our water

Planning for our water can improve our land

Civic Vision for the Central Delaware

The old approach to managing water

Crooked Streams are a menace to life and crops…

In addition, much of the dirt is loosened and later scoured out by the water …which rushes swiftly through the straightened channel

There are significant issues ahead of us for improving the water environment

PLUS: LTCPU, 308 letter, state COA, new permits

Our Approach for investing in CSO reductions

• Keep stormwater out of the sewer

Photo: Black & VeatchPhoto: Black & Veatch



• Spend capital dollars above the ground, not below it

Chicago’s Millennium Park




• Restore the urban waterways





• Recognize that for PWD to be a sustainable utility,

our city must be sustainable

Percentage of income

•





• Recognize that for PWD to be a sustainable utility,

our city must be sustainable

• Solve multiple problems at once

The Public is equally interested in all things water

Streamflow and LivingResources, 12%

Quality of Life, 12%

Flooding, 11%

Stream Corridors, 11%

Stewardship, 11%

Pollutant Loads, 10%

Stream Habitat and AquaticLife, 9%

Water Quality, 9%

Coordination, 8%

Stream Channels and Banks,7%

Example of How Benefits are Linked

Tree planting

Air quality Cooling Aesthetics Water quality

Energy

savings

Reduced

heat stress

Health

benefits

Energy cost

savings

Reduced GHG

emissions

Enhanced

property values

Triple Bottom LineTriple Bottom LineEconomic/Environmental/Social BenefitsEconomic/Environmental/Social Benefits

•• CostsCosts

•• Ecological BenefitsEcological Benefits

•• RecreationRecreation

•• Heat Stress MortalityHeat Stress Mortality

•• Energy SavingsEnergy Savings

•• Air QualityAir Quality

•• Carbon FootprintCarbon Footprint

•• AestheticsAesthetics

•• JobsJobs

•• Property ValueProperty Value

TBL Benefits

• Jobs - 250 people employed annually

• Recreation - 10% more recreation and stream related visits

• Property Values - $390M increase to homes near parks and green areas

• Heat Related Fatalities - 140 fewer

• Premature Deaths - 1-2 avoided / yr

• Asthma Attacks - 20 avoided / yr

• Missed Days of School / Work - 250 fewer / yr

• Carbon Dioxide Emissions - 1.5 Billion lbs avoided/absorbed

• Water Quality and Habitat Improvements - $8.5M

• 45 acres of restored wetlands

• 148 acres of wetlands created

• 11.1 miles of streams restored

Total Benefits of Green City, Clean Waters over the next 40 years

$-

$500,000,000

$1,000,000,000

$1,500,000,000

$2,000,000,000

$2,500,000,000

1

Reduction in Construction-Related Disruptions (0.2%)

Carbon Footprint Reduction(0.6%)

Energy Savings (1.0%)

Avoided Social Costs fromGreen Jobs (3.7%)

Air Quality (4.6%)

Water Quality and Habitat(14.5%)

Property Value Added (18%)

Recreation (22%)

Heat Stress MortalityReduction (35%)

Our Approach….

• Capture the first inch of each storm from 1/3rd of the

City’s impervious cover over the next 20 years

Our Approach….



• Achieve continuous improvement

Green Infrastructure = Continuous Improvement

55%

60%

65%

70%

75%

80%

85%

0 5 10 15 20Time

Performance

Centralized Storage Green Infrastructure

Green/Transmission/Treatment

Our Approach….




• The more change that occurs through normal urban

renewal, the less it will cost

Philadelphia’s 2006 Stormwater Regs have already reduced runoff by (almost) 1 BG per year

Combined Sewer Area

Submitted Stormwater

Projects

Highlighted

Stormwater Projects

Philadelphia

Highlighted Projects

The Radian

• 39th St & Walnut St

• 12,000 sq ft. Green Roof

The Radian

Wexford Science Center

• 37th St & Market St

• 34,000 sq ft Green Roof

Wexford Science Center

Drexel Millennium Hall

• 34th St & Race St

• 5,000 sq ft Green Roof

Drexel Millenium Hall

Our Approach….




• The more change that occurs through normal urban

renewal, the less it will cost

• Use incentives to increase the rate of change

Create Financial Incentives for Better Land Management

Gross Area = 13.5 acres

Imperv Area = 11.5 acres


Existing Charge = $ 5,000

New Charge = $ 30,000

Gross Area = 13.5 acres

Imperv Area = 11.5 acres

Top 500Top 500Top 500Top 500 parcels in the combined sewered parcels in the combined sewered parcels in the combined sewered parcels in the combined sewered

area make up area make up area make up area make up 12.3%12.3%12.3%12.3% of total impervious areaof total impervious areaof total impervious areaof total impervious area


Rewarding the Urban Form

Gross Area = 24,000 sq ft

Imperv Area = 24,000 sq ft

Existing Charge = $ 56,500

New Charge = $ 1,400

Concept Design & Cost Analysis

Putting it all together

• Green streets

• Green homes

• Green schools

• Green commerce

• Green institutions

• Green alleys

• Green parking

Overwhelming Public Support

“I love the idea! Please give us a greener Philadelphia. It would make us healthier and happier all around.”

- Response to the question, “Are you in favor of greening?” (PWD “Green Neighborhoods through Green Streets Survey.”)

Green City... Clean Water

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