GREEN WATER COOL

PHILADELPHIA — This city has proposed tackling its combined-sewer overflow problems with a $1.6 billion, 20-year plan that would use rain gardens, green roofs, thousands of additional trees, rain-harvesting barrels and porous pavement, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported September 27.

Environmental experts and federal regulators are reviewing the 3,369-page plan put forth by the Philadelphia Water Department.

The green capture plan is being hailed as one of the most ambitious ideas to reduce combined sewer overflows and increase “green” living of a major metropolitan area. According to the plan, runoff is reduced, diverted or filtered by layers of soil and plant root systems. The Inquirer reported, “Some areas would temporarily store runoff until the stress of the storm on the combined sewer system is reduced and the water can then be treated in the sewer treatment plants.”

Jon Capacasa, regional director of water protection for the US Environmental Protection Agency, is quoted saying, “This is the most significant use of green infrastructure I've seen in the country, the largest scale I’ve seen. We commend Philadelphia for breaking the ice.” The EPA has final say on whether the plan would effectively deal with the stormwater.

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