Image: CDC

Members from the Community Design Collaborative (CDC), Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) gathered together on January 21st to share their expertise around plans for the implementation of green stormwater infrastructure in Philadelphia and other cities across the country.

Amongst the variety of interesting conversations, one question that was raised – how do we get citizens involved? Bob Perciasepe, the U.S. EPA Deputy Administrator, had some thoughts on the topic. “When you look at a broader area, look at the things that will happen regardless of planning and ask, ‘what can we do differently’?” A connection to green stormwater infrastructure could be made every time anything goes in the ground, whether it’s a road repair, roof replacement or even a new faucet! Thinking through this lens gets both the public sector and private property owner on board.

Shawn Garvin, Administrator of EPA’s Mid-Atlantic Region, also added that, “A big selling point of green stormwater infrastructure is quality of life. There’s the water quality piece, but there’s also how neighborhoods will look. The beauty of this partnership is getting people thinking this way.”

The session wrapped up with green stormwater infrastructure questions of interest including how to push the design of the green stormwater tools neighborhood-wide and how to help people think differently about these tools as they go into the ground.

Read more about the meeting here.

Kimberly Haas from WHYY interviewed a Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) representative, Larry Levine about their recently released report, The Green Edge. In the interview, Levine was asked what he thought of Philadelphia’s green infrastructure program and if he could, how he would grade it. Given Green City, Clean Waters’ current standing, he said that he would give it an A. He mentioned that Philadelphia has received a lot of attention from the program, including accolades by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the NRDC itself.

Listen to the full interview.

Donna Vincent Roa brought together an evaluation team to find out the top water blogs of 2013. In their research, the team found that there were over 500 million blogs on the web, and identified about 250 that focused on water. Using criteria such as website traffic statistics, online buzz, search authority and frequency of posts and comments, the evaluation team was able to cut down to 124 blogs. This list was further cut down by eliminating those sites that didn’t post in the last 30 days, leaving 92 blogs, which were reevaluated and weeded to find the top 50. The final rankings were based upon design and excellence in both branding and content.

We are pleased to announce that the Philly Watersheds blog made the cut! We ranked #4 in brand excellence and ranked #33 overall!

This would not have been possible without the support of our blog readers and supporters! Thank you!

Read the full article.

During the Industrial Revolution, businesses let waste run directly into the Schuylkill River, polluting the river and killing wildlife. Today, the Schuylkill once again supports a variety of fish and wildlife. Additionally, the river serves as a destination for sports and recreation.Rowers, fishermen, runners and families have rediscovered the Schuylkill as an ideal spot for an afternoon picnic or just a fun place to spend time outdoors. We want to encourage even more people to visit the Schuylkill. Help us show how amazing the Schuylkill River is by submitting pictures to the Schuylkill Shots Photo Contest!

Contest Rules

• Individuals can submit up to 6 photos that fall into the following categories:
• Wild & Scenic – Highlight the scenic beauty and wildlife thriving in and along the Schuylkill River and its streams
• Fun on the Schuylkill – Show us your favorite thing to do on the Schuylkill Tip Top Tap – Show us how you use and rely on fresh water daily

All photos must be submitted by October 30, 2013. Judges will select the top 10 photos that best represent the Schuylkill River, the streams and creeks that flow into it, or the water that we use from the river.

After the judges make a selection, individuals can vote for 1stand 2nd place winners for each category. Judges will also pick three “Judges Choice” winners.

Prizes

1st place winners will receive the following:

• Wild & Scenic - $250 Gift Card to Calumet Photographic
• Fun on the Schuylkill - $250 Gift Card to REI
• Tip Top Tap - $250 Gift Card to Amazon.com

2nd place and “Judge’s Choice” winners for each category will receive $100 gift cards corresponding to their category.