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
Philadelphia Water Department Office of Watersheds
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
Philadelphia Water Department Office of Watersheds
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
Our Approach for investing in CSO reductions
• Keep stormwater out of the sewer
• Spend capital dollars above the ground, not below it
Chicago’s Millennium Park
Our Approach for investing in CSO reductions
• Keep stormwater out of the sewer
• Spend capital dollars above the ground, not below it
• Restore the urban waterways
Our Approach for investing in CSO reductions
• Keep stormwater out of the sewer
• Spend capital dollars above the ground, not below it
• Restore the urban waterways
• Recognize that for PWD to be a sustainable utility,
our city must be sustainable
Percentage of income
•
Our Approach for investing in CSO reductions
• Keep stormwater out of the sewer
• Spend capital dollars above the ground, not below it
• Restore the urban waterways
• 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….
• Capture the first inch of each storm from 1/3rd of the
City’s impervious cover over the next 20 years
• 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….
• Capture the first inch of each storm from 1/3rd of the
City’s impervious cover over the next 20 years
• Achieve continuous improvement
• 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….
• Capture the first inch of each storm from 1/3rd of the
City’s impervious cover over the next 20 years
• Achieve continuous improvement
• 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
Create Financial Incentives for Better Land Management
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
Create Financial Incentives for Better Land Management
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.”)