PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The median on American Street in Kensington is a small wonder — a swath of green amid the concrete, asphalt and traffic in the densely urban neighborhood. It was planted to capture rainwater as part of the Philadelphia Water Department’s Green City, Clean Waters, a 25-year plan to reduce 85% of storm-related pollution in the city’s waterways.
It was a cutting-edge strategy when it was introduced in 2011 and quickly caught on nationally, winning awards from the Clean Water America Alliance and the American Planning Association, among others, for its multiple benefits. In addition to soaking up stormwater, the trees and plants improved the environment and beautified neighborhoods.
So it was a disappointment for the department this summer when a group of environmentalists released a report, titled “Unraveling the Facts,” that criticized the plan as too slow, too limited and overwhelmed by climate change.
“The situation is, in fact, getting worse,” said environmental consultant Nick Pagon in a recent interview, citing Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) data that shows an average of 14 billion gallons of stormwater and sewage flowing into rivers and creeks, compared to the 2006 baseline of 13 billion gallons.
PWD pushed back this month in a point-by-point rebuttal on its website, where it disputed the use of the 14 billion gallon figure and even using the 2006 baseline, arguing rainfall varies from 30 to 60 inches annually in the city and much longer timelines are needed to accurately measure how the program is doing.
“It’s good to see the interest and an engaged public around this,” said Kelly Anderson, PWD director of watersheds. “We just feel that the science, engineering facts and data need to be applied.”
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