Institutions across Philadelphia receive funding for green stormwater infrastructure
Thomas Kihn reports for PWD – A green roof for middle schoolers and a golf course wet pond are among the projects recently named 2025-2026 Stormwater Grant awardees.
This year, 9 non-residential properties will receive a total of $9.9 million in funding to build green infrastructure retrofits through the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD)’s signature Stormwater Grants program.
Stormwater Grants give non-residential properties the opportunity to keep pollution out of our local waterways and reduce combined sewer overflows (CSO) by building green stormwater infrastructure (GSI). In addition to beautifying sites and surrounding communities, these retrofits will also significantly reduce property-owners’ water bills.
“We are pleased to announce 9 new Stormwater Grant awardees for 2025–2026,”says Beth Anne Lutes, Manager of PWD’s Stormwater Billing and Incentives.“These projects continue to provide multi-faceted benefits to both PWD and property owners city-wide, including stormwater management, community and property beautification, and savings on water bills.”
Over the last 15 years, PWD’s Stormwater Incentives have played a central role in helping the department reach and exceed its goals for reducing CSOs. In total, the Stormwater Grants Program has provided $205.8 million in funding for the construction of 231 green stormwater projects, resulting in over 1,198 Greened Acres*. These projects, which include the Stormwater Grants Program, make up around 30% of total Greened Acres created under Green City, Clean Waters.
*Each Greened Acre manages nearly 30,000 gallons of stormwater runoff during a one-inch rainstorm – about a SEPTA bus-sized load of polluted water!
A Stormwater Basin and Green Community Space in the Northeast
Over the years, places of worship have played a significant role in the Stormwater Grant Program. This year, 4 churches were selected to receive funding:
- St. Peter’s Syriac Orthodox Cathedral
- St. Matthew Roman Catholic Church
- Triumph Baptist Church
- Bible Way Baptist Church
St. Peter’s is noted for its high level of engagement. Established in 1977, St. Peter’s Syriac Orthodox Cathedral is a growing congregation of over 500 members located in the Bustleton neighborhood of Northeast Philadelphia. The cathedral features a variety of worship groups, including a Sunday School, Youth League, Men’s Prayer Fellowship, and Women’s League.
From the beginning, the cathedral has been a close collaborator. This partnership included inviting contractors Brandywine Stormwater and Green Stormwater Solutions to a Mass and providing them with an opportunity to engage with parishioners in a detailed Q&A session.
The $594,407 grant will fund the construction of a 1.11-acre underground basin with vegetated pre-treatment that will capture and filter stormwater runoff from the cathedral’s parking lot and roof. The project is designed to handle around 33,300 gallons of stormwater per 1-inch storm and will save the church an estimated 55% on its water bill.
“St. Peter’s Syriac Orthodox Cathedral is deeply grateful to the Philadelphia Water Department and our project partners for awarding us this grant and making this project possible,”says Abey K. Abraham of St. Peter’s. “As a non-profit Church with limited financial resources, projects of this scale would be difficult to undertake without the support of programs like this. This grant allows us to invest in improvements that will benefit both our congregation and the surrounding community for many years to come.”
St. Peter’s hopes that the project will also serve as a “living classroom” to demonstrate sustainable practices, educate on environmental justice and sustainability, and inspire community members and other institutions towards similar efforts.
Projects at the other three churches will include additional subsurface basins, as well as new depaving, permeable pavers, and a rain garden. Altogether, projects at the four sites will result in a total of 8.69 Greened Acres, capable of handling approximately 260,700 gallons of stormwater per 1-inch storm.
A New Green Space for Students
PWD has a long history of supporting our city’s students, including collaborating with the Fairmount Water Works to develop the Understanding the Urban Watershed Curriculum and awarding Stormwater Grants to over 50 schools. The department continued to fulfill this critical role during the 2026 fiscal year with a $1.04 million Stormwater Grant award to Richard Allen Prep.
Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School (RAPCS) is a grade 5 though 8 school located in the Kingsessing neighborhood of Southwest Philadelphia. Established in 2001 in response to the area’s need for quality alternative education, RAPCS seeks to “create a safe and healthy learning environment for middle school youth to develop into responsible participants in their education and our diverse society.”
Beginning at a temporary site on 54th Street, the growth of the school’s student body led to the decision to acquire and renovate the former Angelica Laundry Plant at 2601 S. 58th Street, where the school operates today.
The project was developed by Greenprint Partners in collaboration with The Nature Conservancy, with additional funding from the William Penn Foundation. RAPCS has worked closely with Greenprint throughout this process. The collaboration included establishing a Stakeholder Advisory Group, hosting on-site walks, and involving students in the design and construction process. In addition to helping to manage stormwater runoff, the project also aims to address issues of environmental injustice by promoting students’ well-being and increasing their access to natural surroundings.
“An unofficial goal of our school is to make every place and every person better, in a transformative way,”says Dr. Lawrence Jones, RAPCS CEO and Founding Team Member. “The Philadelphia Water Department Stormwater Grant allows us to do both in an incredibly meaningful way: by transforming our landscape, we are helping to improve the environment, to improve the aesthetics of our school and community, and to provide for additional learning spaces and opportunities for our students. We are thrilled to be a recipient of this grant and cannot wait to see the transformational effect it has on our community and our students.”
The 2.15-acre project will consist of large depaved areas, a green roof, and a rain garden. These retrofits will help to capture stormwater and reduce runoff to the combined sewer on 57th Street. Trees and vegetation will also provide needed shade and green space for students to gather. The project will handle approximately 64,500 gallons of stormwater per 1-inch storm, saving the school about 42% on its water bill.
Congratulations to all PWD’s 2025 – 2026 Stormwater Grant Awardees!
- 264 & 300 E Hunting Park Ave
- Oxford House Apartments
- St. Matthew Roman Catholic Church
- Richard Allen Preparatory Charter School
- Union League Golf Course at Torresdale
- St Peter’s Syriac Cathedral
- Rosa Foods
- Triumph Baptist Church
- Bible Way Baptist Church
Read the full post here.