Proposed view of Hackett schoolyard by the Community Design Collaborative

Horatio B. Hackett Elementary School is lucky to have a large schoolyard—nearly an acre of land in the middle of the city—but many people describe it as a “sea of pavement.” As it stands, the schoolyard is almost completely covered in asphalt but will soon transform into a lush green space with benefits for students, the neighboring communities and the environment. Many community members are excited that their kids will have green space to play in and teachers look forward to expanding their curriculum to include the outside environment.

This project demonstrates the power of partnerships and community involvement. The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD), School District of Philadelphia, Friends of Horatio B. Hackett Elementary School, and the New Kensington Community Development Corporation (NKCDC), and volunteers from the Community Design Collaborative (CDC) worked together on a master plan for the schoolyard that integrates green stormwater infrastructure.

The schoolyard will be outfitted with green stormwater infrastructure to manage stormwater runoff through PWD’s  Green City, Clean Waters plan. The site will be equipped with a rain garden and underground retention basins that will soak up rainwater, filter it and keep it out of the combined sewer system.

Using green stormwater infrastructure at the Hackett School is just one part of the schoolyard revitalization plan. It also includes play and fitness equipment, shade trees, murals, an outdoor classroom, and amenities such as customized swings, accessible ramps and walkways for wheelchairs and students with specialized needs.

Philadelphia Water Department will implement the green stormwater infrastructure elements. To jumpstart the project on the community side, the School leadership and the Friends of Hackett organize work days and are currently raising funds to realize the rest of the plan. You can donate to their cause on their website: http://friendsofhackett.weebly.com

To read more about this project and see pictures of the site, check out this Philadelphia Neighborhoods article Kensington: A Greener Schoolyard for Hackett Elementary.

 PWD Rain Barrel at the PHS Pop-up Garden, 1438 South Street.

Great news!  We have eight new rain barrel workshops scheduled. Visit our webpage to learn more about the program and sign up for a workshop.

In addition to new workshops, we’re excited to announce that the Rain Barrel Program is now a part of the Philadelphia Water Department’s Rain Check Program and will be managed by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS)  in partnership with the Sustainable Business Network (SBN).  

PWD is still providing the rain barrels and installations FREE to Philadelphia residents.  So don’t hesitate, sign up now  for one of these exciting workshops. After attending a workshop, we will coordinate the installation of a new rain barrel at your home. Can’t make it to Center City for a workshop? Don’t worry, we’ll be scheduling neighborhood workshops soon.

We know we’ve said it quite a few times already, but we’re going Green -literally! This week, don’t be surprised or worried to see green in portions of the Delaware River. 

The Water Quality Compliance Modeling group is conducting a dye study in the Delaware River as part of the validation process for a 3D hydrodynamic model. This model is a requirement of the Consent Order and Agreement between PA Department of Environmental Protection and PWD to reduce combined sewer overflows. The study will be conducted with Woods Hole Group, Inc., a world renowned oceanographic firm, and Professor Robert Chant of Rutgers University who has led similar studies in the Hudson River and other water bodies.  Monitoring will occur 24/7 over three days with crews tracking the dye plume over its fill extent during that period. The dye planned for this release is Fluorescein, a material that has low toxicity. 

Check out the video for more information on the dye study: https://vimeo.com/102168863

On Friday, July 18th, the Philadelphia Water Department took a trip to Cardone Industries for a ribbon-cutting celebrating the $3.4 million grant awarded to Cardone in 2013, as part of the Stormwater Management Incentives Program (SMIP). Cardone is a third generation family-owned business and it is one of the best manufacturers in Philadelphia, known to be environmental friendly because of remanufacturing.

Through the grant, there are five new stormwater management features to ensure that runoff from all areas of the property is managed, including a 530 foot swale and basins, both above and underground.  These features allow the 50-acre property to store five million gallons of rain water and help Cardone save an average of $250,000 per year in stormwater fees.

Numerous people joined PWD for the ribbon cutting. Special guests included Councilwoman Marian Tasco of the 9th district, Councilman Bobby Henon of the 6th district, Cardone Chief Executive Officer Kevin Cramton, Steve Jurash from the Manufacturer’s Alliance and Mike Cooper of the Commerce Department.