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Philadelphia Water Department

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Venice Island is Opening!

Sep 26, 2014
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Aerial rendering of Venice Island

After years of hard work and collaboration between the
Philadelphia Water Department, Philadelphia Parks and Recreations, and the
Manayunk community, Venice Island will open to the public! Join us next week
on October 7, 2014 at 11:00 AM for the official opening and ribbon cutting
event to celebrate the completion of the Venice Island Performing Arts &
Recreation Center, the Philadelphia Water Department storage basin unit, and
green storm water infrastructure projects at the site. Guests will include Mayor
Michael Nutter, Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. Deputy Mayor for Community and
Environmental Resources Michael DiBerardinis, Water Commissioner Howard
Neukrug, and Chief Cultural Officer Helen Haynes. There will be musical
entertainment, tours of the green infrastructure projects, performances at the
Venice Island Performing Arts & Recreation Center, and outdoor,
site-specific art installations on display.

The Venice Island project is located between the Manayunk Canal
and the Schuylkill River, between the Lock and Cotton Street bridges in
Manayunk. The Philadelphia Water Department designed the project to include
tree trenches, a pump house with a green roof, and a subsurface basin that will
temporarily store diverted flow from the sanitary interceptor sewer during
intense rain storms. The basin capable of storing nearly four million gallons
of water–roughly 180 SEPTA buses–that are later pumped out and directed to
a treatment plant. The project not only protects and improves the health of the
Schuylkill River, but also includes a full-scale reconstruction of the
recreational facilities and community amenities, including a new
state-of-the-art recreation and performing arts facility, new athletic fields,
a children’s play area and spray park, and a new parking lot. Read more about this exciting project.

We hope to see you at the opening day!

Date: Tuesday, October 7th

Time: 11:00 AM

Location: 1 Cotton Street (in Manayunk), Philadelphia, PA 19127

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Drexel University Awarded Contract to Evaluate Heat Recovery from Wastewater

Jun 5, 2014
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Over 80% of the energy used to heat the water in our homes & businesses goes down the drain! Starting this month, Drexel University will begin researching how we can recover some of that heat from our wastewater. Funded by the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the research will be led by principal investigator, Dr. Charles Haas of Drexel University and Paul Kohl, Energy Program Manager at PWD and a Drexel PhD candidate.  Underground, the temperature of our wastewater remains stable year round as it is insulated from the air temperature above it. This means we can use energy from our sewage to warm buildings in the winter and cool them in the summer. Drexel’s “Sewage Geothermal” research will build on existing work at the Water Department to recover  energy from our waste water. In fact, PWD installed sewage geothermal technology at our Southeast Water Pollution Control Plant in February 2012. The installation uses thermal energy to heat the plant’s compressor building and pipe gallery space, saving PWD $18,000 annually.

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5 ways PWD aims to be a model 21st Century urban water utility

May 7, 2014
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To start off our series about points from the budget testimony PWD delivered this week, we wanted to share a couple of quick pieces for background—our mission and our short- and long-term goals.

PWD mission:
PWD aims to be America’s model 21st Century urban water utility- one that fully meets the complex responsibilities and opportunities of our time and environment. PWD’s mission is to:

  • Provide the Greater Philadelphia region with integrated water, wastewater and stormwater services
  • Protect public health by always delivering PWD’s customers the highest quality of drinking water at a competitive and affordable cost
  • Protect the environment by managing and treating the region’s wastewater and stormwater, protecting and advocating for rivers and streams and their watersheds, and protecting sources of drinking water
  • Support the sustainable growth of Philadelphia and its residents, communities, businesses and industry as well as the financial well-being of the utility
  • Continue to be America’s most innovative utility with a constant focus on quality, efficiency, customer service and affordability

We just LOVE that we’re getting to support sustainable growth as the city’s population continues to be on the rise! The key, as we say, is making sure that growth is smart and sustainable so it also allows us to protect the environment for the next several generations of Philadelphians.

How do we plan on fulfilling this mission? Check it out:

PWD’s short and long term goals:
PWD recently completed a new Strategic Plan, which was created with the input of PWD’s own staff, other city and government agencies, and external partners. The plan focuses on eight key areas:

  • Improve customer service, outreach and assistance
  • Increase workforce strength and diversity
  • Improve our financial health
  • Invest in capital planning
  • Protect our infrastructure
  • Uphold excellence in core services
  • Ensure sustainable utility operations
  • Support a strong and diverse Philadelphia business community

It’s no accident that improved customer service is at the top of the list. It is a top priority for PWD and a place where we’re always striving to get better. Friday we’ll share some more details about how we plan to do this.

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Uncover the Green Competition Results

Apr 16, 2014
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The first round of judging in the Uncover the Green competition is completed!

Several weeks ago, the Philadelphia Water Department launched Uncover the Green. This exciting design competition challenged Philadelphia’s undergraduate and graduate students; to design a medallion to represent Philadelphia’s new green storm water tools, as well as a second design for new manhole covers.

Over 40 submissions were received and following the first round of judging , the top eight have been selected for the next round! Visit the completion website to view the finalists.

Join us on May 2nd from 3:30 to 5:30 P.M. at the Fairmount Water Works as we reveal the top three winners, as well as our city’s new medallion and manhole designs. Everyone is welcome for an afternoon full of activities, including a People Choice Awards. Refreshments will be served!

Special thanks to our first round of judges:

  • Community Design Collaborative
  • Cloud Geshan Associates
  • Maskar Design
  • The Public Workshop
  • Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
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