Do you want to know about upcoming green improvements coming to Germantown to help the neighborhood soak up excess stormwater that comes with rainstorms?

Stop by this Philadelphia Water Department open house event between 6-8:30 p.m. to learn about a number of green projects planned for your neighborhood:

What:
Germantown Green Upgrades Open House

Where:
Happy Hollow Rec Center
4800 Wayne Ave., Phila. Pa. 19144

When:
Tuesday, Oct. 3
Doors open at 6 p.m.
Event ends at 8:30 p.m.

Invite friends on Facebook!

Green tools like rain gardens, tree trenches and bumpouts are being designed for local streets and other spaces and will capture stormwater runoff coming down the streets in Germantown while adding new green spaces. Construction for these projects will start in approximately two years, and we'll be holding community meetings to provide updates and get input from neighbors. 

Please RSVP to help us provide enough refreshments.

Additional PWD staff will be there to answer questions about customer assistance programs like our new income-based billing, water bills, and educational and environmental programs from PWD and the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford (TTF) Watershed Partnership.

Questions? Contact Hailey Stern at Hailey.Stern@phila.gov 

When leadership at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia decided to create a brand-new, centralized facility for pediatric care, their primary concern was easing the stress young patients and their families often face while undergoing treatment.

Today, that vision is recognized at the 12-story Buerger Center, a colorful University City building that opened in 2015 with a playful, flowing façade that makes it feel like a distinct, long-cherished landmark.

Impressive features include a lush and winding 16,000 square foot roof garden and a ground-level plaza garden covering more than two acres. These spaces not only serve the mission of reducing stress for kids in treatment—they also reduce pollution in Philadelphia’s waterways.

By limiting the amount of stormwater runoff flowing into Philadelphia’s combined sewer system, where heavy storms can lead to overflows that harm local rivers like the Schuylkill, these green features are helping the City of Philadelphia in its drive to massively reduce this source of pollution in the coming years.

That attention to water quality protection and green design are what earned CHOP and the team behind the Buerger Center the 2017 Stormwater Pioneer award. Granted by the Philadelphia Water Department, the award recognizes forward-thinking stormwater management projects in the private sector.

Mayor Jim Kenney, Water Department Commissioner Debra McCarty and City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell will gather on the blooming 6th-floor roof garden with CHOP officials and the development team this Wednesday, July 26.

While the Buerger Center’s gardens are highly visible, much of the actual stormwater management takes place behind the scenes at the facility, which was designed to be LEED-Silver certified.

In Philadelphia, we’re lucky to have more pools and spray grounds per resident than any other city in the U.S.

Because we have all those great, free places to cool off, there’s no reason to open fire hydrants when the weather gets hot or risk swimming in our unpredictable rivers, where drowning is always a risk.

Opening hydrants can cause a number of dangerous situations:

• A fire hydrant opened at full pressure can cause serious bodily harm, or even death, should a child, or an adult get pushed into oncoming traffic while playing in front of the hydrant
• Illegally opening a hydrant can break the valves and make the hydrant useless when it’s needed most—during a fire on your block
• The huge amount of water coming out of hydrants can flood local basements and cause problems with gas and electric lines
• Operating hydrants the wrong way can break the water mains that are under your street when not properly turned on or off

If you see a hydrant open on your block, report it right away by calling our emergency hotline at 215 685 6300.

You can find a local pool operated by Parks and Recreation, or check out one of our local spraygrounds. The City is also hosting Swim Philly events right now—free fun activities like Aqua Yoga and Aqua Zumba at local pools. Check out the Swim Philly calendar.

Not a bathing suit person? Head to a local library and cool off while checking out the wide range of free resources the Free Library of Philadelphia provides for residents.

And, as always, take advantage of the clean, top-quality water available from your tap—at less than a half a penny per gallon, it’s the best way to stay hydrated when the temps soar.

So remember: hydrants are for fire, not fun.

For more tips about staying safe in the heat, check out this great guide from the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management.