Newly appointed Commissioner Debra McCarty (center). Mayor Kenney named McCarty to lead the department Jan. 1, 2016.

Newly elected Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney rang in 2016 by naming Debra A. McCarty as the new Commissioner of the Philadelphia Water Department. McCarty, the first woman to hold the title of Commissioner, was serving as Deputy Commissioner and Director of Operations.

"I’m honored by Mayor Kenney’s appointment and look forward to building on work that has established the Philadelphia Water Department as a national model for what a modern water, wastewater and stormwater utility can be," McCarty said. "We will continue to provide 1.5 million people with top quality drinking water and improve and protect the health of our rivers while investing in innovative solutions to 21st Century challenges."

Work by artist Sandy Sorlien in the South Garden fountain at AiO 2014's Family Day. Photo credit: Karen Jenkins.

This spring, the banks of the Schuylkill River will be buzzing with the creative work of artists selected for the sixth year of “Art in the Open,” or AiO, a three-day event that gives the public an intimate look at the processes behind art.

Our iconic Fairmount Water Works facility will act as the starting point for the AiO installations, which will populate the riverbanks moving south toward Bartram’s Garden.

Philadelphia Water joined other City partners and Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Connor Barwin in breaking ground on a Smith Recreation Center makeover that includes extensive green stormwater infrastructure. Click the image above to see more photos from the event.

You might think it’d be hard for green stormwater infrastructure to get much attention when you have a star NFL player (Connor Barwin) talking about fun things like a completely renovated recreation center and the new athletic fields and basketball courts coming to Smith Playground in South Philadelphia.