Pennsylvania Approves Philadelphia’s Green City, Clean Waters Plan

The city of Philadelphia announced it has reached a binding agreement with the state to move forward with its ambitious Green City, Clean Waters initiative--a plan that will aim to help clean up local waterways like the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, and also establish Philadelphia as a national leader in how to do it right, according to environmental groups that have been advising the city on the plan, including the Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture), Clean Water Action (CWA) and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC).

The 25-year plan will tackle the city’s biggest water pollution problem--sewage overflows--by using cutting-edge green infrastructure technology. Green infrastructure uses practices and designs like green roofs, increased park space, roadside plantings and porous pavement to reduce the volume of water sewage treatment facilities must process during a storm, which helps prevent them from overflowing. It also keeps runoff pollution from flowing directly into waterways when it rains.

The announcement comes as a result of a settlement reached between the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection and the Philadelphia Water Department.

“Philadelphia is setting the national model for how to clean up troubled waterways, and how to do it right,” said Lawrence Levine, senior water attorney at NRDC. “This new plan is not only good news for those who love to boat, fish and play in local waterways like the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers, but for all Philadelphians, whose neighborhoods will become literally greener, healthier, more pleasant places to live. Cities grappling with water pollution problems nationwide should look to Philadelphia for solutions.”

PennFuture and NRDC assisted the city in developing the plan, and worked with CWA to perform a detailed independent review of the draft plan after it was first released in 2009, to identify its key strengths and recommend improvements that helped the plan gain regulatory approval.

Source: NRDC