The Sierra Club is embracing Philadelphia Green as a new and better way to manage stormwater. The project is a joint undertaking by the Philadelphia Water Department Office of Watersheds and the Philadelphia Horticultural Society. In Building Better II: A Guide to America’s Best New Development Projects, Sierra Club profiles Philadelphia Green among 10 innovative stormwater projects across the nation, commending them for contributing to healthier, more livable communities.


In 2003, with grant support from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Growing Greener Program, Philadelphia Green transformed five plots of land into models of good stormwater management by installing shallow trenches and berms that harness the rainfall and allow it to seep slowly into the ground over a 24- to 36-hour period.

Carl Pope, the Sierra Club’s executive director, noted, “As we grow, it is often our water that suffers most. Few people realize that the largest source of water pollution today comes from stormwater and sewer overflows-- both of which can be exacerbated by new development. Our hope is that Americans will look at Philadelphia Green and demand better clean water practices as their own communities grow and develop.”

Last year, Philadelphia Green, again in conjunction with the Philadelphia Water Department, added new projects at seven Philadelphia schools to address stormwater runoff and promote environmental education. At S. Weir Mitchell Elementary School, for example, children created a raised-bed vegetable garden in a paved parking lot, which will help to reduce the “heat island effect” and absorb stormwater instead of contributing to runoff.

Howard M. Neukrug, PWD director of the Office of Watersheds, described the project as a win-win situation for neighborhoods. “It's a greening of schoolyards, and it's a way to reduce runoff," said Neukrug.

Profiles of the Philadelphia Green and other winning projects can be viewed at: www.sierraclub.org/buildingbetter

Top of Page