green city, clean waters - american planning...
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Green City, Clean Waters Implementing the Nation’s Most Comprehensive Green Stormwater Infrastructure Program
www.phillywatersheds.org
• First Combined Sewer Overflow Long-Term Control Plan in the country to primarily focus on green stormwater infrastructure
• Uses an environmental regulatory obligation as a means for long-term strategic investments in community and economic development
“[Philadelphia] has earned a place as a national and global leader on sustainable innovation and clean water protection.”
Lisa Jackson, EPA Administrator
PHILADELPHIA WATER DEPARTMENT
• An integrated utility: – Drinking Water (1.73 million customers in Philadelphia,
Bucks, Montgomery and Delaware Counties)
– Wastewater (2.22 million customers in Philadelphia,
Bucks, Montgomery and Delaware Counties)
– Stormwater (Philadelphia City/County only)
• A new integrated approach:
– Land
– Waterways
– Infrastructure
– Community
TYPES OF SEWERS IN PHILADELPHIA
60% of Philadelphia 40% of Philadelphia
Downspout
Storm drain
Dry Weather
Outfall pipe to creek
Downspout
Storm drain
Dry Weather
Outfall pipe to creek
Combined Sewer Separate Sewer
60% of Philadelphia 40% of Philadelphia
Downspout
Storm drain
Downspout
Storm drain
Outfall pipe to creek
Combined Sewer Separate Sewer
Wet Weather Wet Weather
Outfall pipe to creek
TYPES OF SEWERS IN PHILADELPHIA
NATIONAL CSO CONTROL POLICY OF 1994
• Expedite Compliance with the Clean Water Act
– Must attain WQS
• Use – Swimming, Aquatic Life, Ind. & Ag. supply
• Criteria – Numeric and Narrative
• Anti-degradation policy
• Control Discharges from CSOs
– NPDES Permitting Process
– Authorization to Discharge to Waterways
• Wet Weather Water Quality Act of 2000
City of Philadelphia CSO Program Timeline
LTCPU Submitted to PA DEP
September, 2009
October 2016 First Evaluation and
Adaptation Plan Submitted
Original LTCP 1997
2008 CO & A signed
June 1, 2011 Consent Order and Agreement signed with State of
Pennsylvania
April 10, 2012 EPA Signing of
Partnership Agreement
City of Philadelphia Stormwater Regulations
enacted January 2006
July, 2010 Begin Phase In
Parcel Based Billing for Stormwater
CSO LONG TERM CONTROL PLAN OF 1997
• Policy Required CSS communities to develop and implement a Long Term Control Plan (LTCP)
• Implemented in 3 Phases
– Nine Minimum Controls (NMCs)
– Capital Program ~$200Million
– Watershed Based Planning Initiative
• To improve Water Quality
• Attain Water Quality Standards
• Water Quality issues
• Odors
• Low Dissolved Oxygen
• Bank Erosion
• Lack of Channel Habitat and Biological Diversity
• Wetland Degradation
• Poor Public Access to Streams
• Dumping and Trash
• Vandalism
WATERSHED-WIDE ISSUES
• PWD undertook a Triple Bottom Line (TBL) analysis of the environmental, social, and economic benefits of the program.
• Expands upon the traditional financial reporting framework
– Assess the impact of green stormwater infrastructure investment beyond water quality benefit
TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE BENEFITS
TRIPLE BOTTOM LINE BENEFITS Economic/Environmental/Social
Environmental Benefits
• Fishable, swimmable
• Habitat enhancement
• Air Quality
• Energy Savings
• Carbon Footprint
Social Benefits
• Recreation
• Aesthetics
• Public Health
• Equity
Economic Benefits
• Property Values • Job creation • City competitiveness
1. Upgrading Water Pollution Control Plants
2. Lining Intercepting Sewers along two creek mainstems
3. Managing impervious cover from more than 1/3 of the CSO drainage with Green Stormwater Infrastructure
• greening our neighborhoods,
• restoring our waterfronts,
• improving our outdoor recreation spaces, and
• enhancing our quality of life.
City of Philadelphia’s Chosen CSO Program Alternative –
A Mix of Green and Traditional Infrastructure
2009 LTCPU Submittal 2011 CONSENT ORDER & AGREEMENT -
PADEP
Consent Order & Agreement – Pollutant Mass Capture Approach
– Stream/Wetland restoration removed
– $200M additional funds
– 25 yr program
– $1.2Billion (present value)
– more than 34% ‘Greening’
– Approximately 12 ‘Deliverables’
– Evaluation and Adaptation Plans every 5 years
June 1, 2011 June 1, 2036 25-year Program
$800 million
$200 million
Green Stormwater Infrastructure
Adaptive Management
Wet Weather Treatment Plant Upgrades
$200 million
GREEN CITY, CLEAN WATERS
Water Quality Based Effluent Limit (WQBEL)
Metric Units
Cumulative amount
as of Year 25
(2036)
NE / SW / SE WPCP
upgrade: Design &
Construction
Percent complete 100%
Miles of interceptor lined Miles 14.5
Overflow Reduction
Volume
Million Gallons per
year 7,960
Equivalent Mass Capture
TSS / BOD / Fecal
Coliform
Percent 85%
Total Greened Acres Greened Acres 9,564
WHAT IS A GREENED ACRE?
Greened Acre: An acre of impervious cover that is retrofitted to utilize green stormwater infrastructure to manage stormwater using source controls such as infiltration, evaporation, transpiration, decentralized storage and reuse.
GA = IC * Wd
• IC is the impervious cover utilizing green stormwater infrastructure (acres).
• Wd is the depth of water over the impervious surface that can be physically stored in the facility (inches); at least 1.0 inch of runoff, and up to 1.5 inches of runoff, unless otherwise deemed feasible by engineering design.
• One Greened Acre is equivalent to one inch of managed stormwater from one acre of drainage area or 27,158 gallons of managed stormwater.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT?
• PWD’s Green Stormwater Infrastructure Program Components:
– GSI that follows public works projects
– Privately funded GSI
– Publicly led GSI
PHILADELPHIA STORMWATER REGULATIONS
Impacts New Development & Redevelopment with earth disturbance exceeding 15,000 square feet:
• Water Quality; Channel Protection; Flood Control
• Meets the definition of a greened acre and manages the first inch of runoff
• Opportunity to leverage private development
Since enacting the 2006 regulations:
• PWD has approved 478 Stormwater Management Plans controlling over 1.5 billion gallons annually
• Shift from a meter-based charge for stormwater to a parcel-based stormwater charge
• Credit system available for managing stormwater
• Top 500 impacted parcels in the combined sewer area make up 12.3% of total impervious area
PARCEL-BASED STORMWATER BILLING: Financial Incentive for Better Stormwater Management
Existing Charge = $ 400
New Charge = $ 2,500
Gross Area = 600,000
Impervious Area = 500,000
Gross Area = 24,000
Impervious Area = 24,000
Existing Charge = $ 4,700
New Charge = $ 120
COA DELIVERABLES
Deliverable Name Deliverable Date
Implementation and Adaptive Management Plan December 1, 2011
Green Infrastructure Maintenance Manual Development Process Plan
June 1, 2012
Comprehensive Monitoring Plan December 1, 2012
Facility Concept Plan for NE WPCP June 1, 2013
Facility Concept Plan for SE WPCP June 1, 2013
Facility Concept Plan for SW WPCP June 1, 2013
Updated Nine Minimum Controls Report June 1, 2013
Tributary Water Quality Model – Bacteria June 1, 2013
Tributary Water Quality Model - Dissolved Oxygen June 1, 2014
Green Infrastructure Maintenance Manual - First Edition June 1, 2014
Tidal Waters Water Quality Model - Bacteria June 1, 2015
Tidal Waters Water Quality Model - Dissolved Oxygen June 1, 2015
Implementation and Adaptive Management Plan
A strategy for the first years of Implementation
Delivery: December 1, 2011
Metric: All
Adaptive Management
Capital Projects Planning
Policy and Streamlining
Operations and Maintenance
Program Monitoring
Public Outreach
Green Infrastructure Maintenance Manual
Delivery: June 1, 2014
Metric: Greened Acres
Defining maintenance activities, frequency and
efficiencies for long-term success of each type of
green stormwater infrastructure
Natural Environment Monitoring
Tidal
Tributary
Groundwater
Rainfall
Sewer System Monitoring
Sewer System Flows
CSO Discharge
Model Outputs
Green Infrastructure Performance
Soil and Vegetation Underground Infrastructure
Comprehensive Monitoring Plan
Delivery: December 1, 2012
Metric: Greened Acres
Monitoring, Modeling and Inspections
Increase wet weather treatment capacity to over
1.4 billion gallons
per day
Delivery: June 1, 2013
Metric: Overflow Reduction
Facility Concept Plans for Plant Expansion
50 MGD •Increase in secondary treatment capacity
60 MGD •Increase secondary treatment capacity
215 MGD •Increase wet weather capacity using secondary bypass
Tookany/Tacony-Frankford
Cobbs Creek Delaware River Schuylkill River
Water Quality Modeling Delivery: 2013-2015
Metric: Progress Evaluation Tool
Assess the program and evaluate alternative implementation options
Bacteria
Dissolved Oxygen
CONSEQUENCES OF MISSING TARGETS
• Stipulated Penalties for failure to achieve any numerical Performance Standard specified in Table 1 of the Water Quality Requirements section of the NPDES permits, the City shall pay civil penalties as follows:
i. Months 1 through 6 of each violation: $25,000 per month per violation
ii. Months 7 through 12 of each violation: $50,000 per month per violation
iii. Months 13 and beyond of each violation: $100,000 per month per violation
• Dissolution of EPA partnership and evolution to standard Consent Decree Process
• Enforce strong stormwater regulations on development
• Create stormwater billing structure that rewards good practices
• Ambitious and innovative Green Programs to invest in green stormwater infrastructure
9,500+ IMPERVIOUS ACRES CONVERTED TO “GREENED ACRES”
TOTAL GREENED ACRE METRIC
5-year target = 744 greened acres
25-year target = 9,564 greened acres
Metric Units Year 0 Year 5 Year 10 Year 15 Year 20 Year 25
Total Greened Acres
Greened Acres
0 744 2,148 3,812 6,424 9,564
GSI RAMP-UP
• PWD needs to achieve a pace of designing 260 Greened Acres (GAs) per year by FY16
• This is the “Proof of Concept” phase for PWD and the regulators
– Meet the WQBEL target AND build the program and confidence
– Build foundation for implementation in years 1-5
– Aggressiveness in the early stages will position us for the doubling of effort (1400 GA) in years 5-10
PROJECT OPPORTUNITY ANALYSIS
• How are new GSI project identified?
– PWD staff
– Community Input http://www.phillywatersheds.org/whats_in_it_for_you/CI_Criteria
– Philadelphia City Departments
• Develop a Master Map
• How are projects characterized?
– Criteria
– Physical and Institutional Coordination
• How are projects prioritized?
• Public: invest in creating green stormwater infrastructure
• Private: apply strong stormwater regulations for development; new stormwater billing structure rewards LID practices
• Public Works: standardize green infrastructure for all city projects
9,564+ Impervious Acres Converted to “Greened Acres”
Private Lands
• Industrial/Commercial/Institutional
• Homes
• Parking
• Alleys, Driveways and Walkways
Public Lands
• Streets
• Schools
• Public Facilities
• Open Spaces Springside School “Water Wall” and Rain Garden
Saylor Grove Stormwater Wetland
Friends Center Green Roof
EIGHT GREEN PROGRAMS
GREENED ACRES ANNUAL GOALS
Target of Greened Acres Designed by Type of Project Project
Categories FY111 FY12 FY13 FY14 FY15 FY16
Parking 5 10 15 20 30
Green Streets 15 25 30 40 50 60
Public Property 5 15 20 30 40
Water Sewer 5 20 30 40 50
School 5 10 15 20
Street Paving 10 25 60
Sub-total 15 40 80 125 180 260
SMED 50
Total 15 40 80 125 230 260
Cumulative 15 55 135 260 490 750
DEMONSTRATION PHASE: Initial focus on Green Streets and Open Space
Columbus Square Stormwater Planters Cliveden Park
Saylor Grove
• $30M PennVest loan
• 5 phases between 2009 and 2012
• 93 Sites - over 200 Blocks
• 6 Greened Acres are completed
• 44 GA designed awaiting construction
• 40 GA in design
• Construction costs typically range from $200k to >$1M
PennVest (SRF) Low
Interest Loan
New Initiatives - First Five Years
• PWD Facilities
• Green Campus Initiatives
• Green Schools and Schoolyards
• Greening of Publicly owned Parking Facilities
• Vacant Lands
• Green Homes
www.pennconnects.upenn.edu/find_a_project/by_category/landscape/shoemaker_green_images.php
• Revise and define City review process and policies
• Align Capital Programs – PWD and Streets
• Standardizes green stormwater infrastructure when:
– Water and sewer lines are replaced (approx. 20 miles/year) – Streets are re-surfaced (eventually 38 % of impervious cover)
Green Streets Design Process
After
GREEN SCHOOLS
Before
Before After
Greenfield Elementary Center City
Wissahickon Charter East Falls
GREEN PUBLIC PARKING LOTS
Eadom Street Parking Lot
East Falls Parking Lot
Public Parking Lot Owner Potential Greened Acres
(# of sites)
Redevelopment Authority 13.1 acres (19 sites)
City of Philadelphia 12.2 acres (20 sites)
Beach St. Corp. 11.5 acres (1 site)
Conrail 8.2 acres (2 sites)
Kaplan at Tacony 1.7 acres (1 site)
Concept Tools Project Identification and Analysis
Design and Construction
Opportunities
• Maximizing Green Acres in clustered areas 50+ GA at a time
• Alternatives analysis for integrated implementation
• Potential leveraging of limited funding
• Innovative collaboration
STORMWATER MANAGEMENT ENHANCEMENT DISTRICTS
American Street Corridor
Win-Win-Win (Community, Businesses, PWD)
• Centralized stormwater management
• Removes unnecessary pavement
• Collaborative Design
• Up to 46 new greened acres
• Corridor Revitalization
• Build-out could double employment opportunities
GREEN HOMES
• Residential properties make up 20% of the impervious areas in the City
– Great opportunity for stormwater management
• Approximately 80% of PWD’s customers are residential
– Offer PWD customers the tools to contribute to greening
• Pilot: Determine level of interest -> inform city-wide program, if successful
PWD selected green tools that can be easily
installed; tools for every type of land-use
• Yard Tree
• Rain garden
• Downspout planter
• Porous pavers
• De-paving
RESIDENTIAL GREEN TOOLS
PILOT NEIGHBORHOODS
Key Determining Factors for Pilot Selection
• Strong Civic Capacity/Strong Partners
o Help us solicit participants and obtain feedback throughout the process
• Diverse housing/land-use typologies
o Larger yards, smaller yards, no yards
• Strong Interest/Strong Civics
o Where people care about their blocks – higher chance of getting feedback and commitment
REORGANIZATION OF PWD OFFICE OF WATERSHEDS
Realigning the organizational structure to transition from demonstration phase to a full implementation phase
Office of Watersheds
Environmental Restoration and
Monitoring Program
Planning and Regulatory
Compliance Program
Strategic Policy and Coordination Program
Policy Initiatives
Interagency Coordination
Watershed Information
Funding Support
GSI Planning
Design Coordination
Compliance Assurance
LTCPU Hydrologic and Hydraulic Modeling
GSI Maintenance
GSI Monitoring
Ecological Restoration
Environmental Monitoring &
Research
Watershed Field Operations
Water Quality Compliance Modeling
STRATEGIC POLICY & COORDINATION PROGRAM
New working group dedicated to streamlining policy and interagency coordination needs
• Identify and evaluate policy barriers to implementation of Green City, Clean Waters
• Track local, state and federal policy developments that may affect Green City, Clean Waters goals
• Initiate strategies to address policy challenges
• Centralize coordination with other City and Non-City agencies to achieve policy goals and realize implementation opportunities
PLANNING & REGULATORY COMPLIANCE PROGRAM
Ensure regulatory compliance with stormwater and CSO regulations
• Project planning, design, and implementation
• Pilot green stormwater infrastructure projects across the full spectrum of opportunities (e.g. schools, parks, streets), site conditions (e.g. steep slopes, various soil conditions), and ownership patterns during the first five years of the program
• Develop design guidelines, standards and specifications
• Manage monitoring and inspection of green stormwater infrastructure
Many of the priority policy and coordination needs will be identified by the GSI planning group responsible for building the queue of projects for implementation
Planning and Regulatory Compliance Program
Strategic Policy and Coordination Program
Policy Initiatives
Interagency Coordination
GSI Planning
INTERAGENCY COORDINATION
Targeted organizations generally belong to one of two categories:
1. Organizations that have resources that can directly support Green City, Clean Waters implementation
o Land to implement greened acres o Funding to leverage PWD’s investments o Initiatives that are complementary to GCCW
2. Organizations that can influence the direction and reach of Green City, Clean Waters
o Make critical policy decisions o Influence key policy-makers o Facilitate or present challenges to green infrastructure
implementation
• Arrive at agreed-upon Standard Details
• Clarify and Streamline the Review Process (i.e. Who, What, When)
• Develop inter-departmental Maintenance / Ownership / Liability understanding
• Establish sustainable Maintenance Plan
• Continue Community Outreach & Education
• Establish comprehensive Monitoring Plan
POLICY & COORDINATION ISSUES: Green Streets
• Collaboration between: – Mayor’s Office of Transportation &
Utilities – Philadelphia Water Dept – Streets Dept
• Provide standard details for green stormwater infrastructure design
• Revise and define City review process and policies and align capital planning
GREEN STREETS DESIGN MANUAL
• Refine the PWD construction inspection protocol for public and private GSI projects o Clear expectations for construction work o Prescribed information for As-Built documentation
• Allow for flexibility in maintenance procedures to accommodate new and innovative pilot GSI designs
• Develop legal tools and agreements to clarify and confirm maintenance responsibilities with relevant agencies and private property owners
POLICY & COORDINATION ISSUES: Maintenance & Inspections
• Twelve sites across various City departments
• Green stormwater management practices resulting from compliance with stormwater regulations
• Allocate stormwater billing credits from each site to a maintenance contract
PILOT MAINTENANCE PROGRAM: Dept. of Public Property
POLICY & COORDINATION ISSUES: Stormwater Regulations, Billing & Credits
• Evaluate potential benefit of modifying PWD’s stormwater regulations to increase minimum management volume to 1.5 inches and/or reduce trigger threshold to 5,000 SF
• Evaluate stormwater billing credit system to ensure equity and confirm expected results
o Stormwater Assistance Phase-In Program
• Evaluate policies for off-site alternatives to meet stormwater regulations and/or achieve billing credits
o Stormwater Banking & Trading Concept
• Address potential Legal Obstacles regarding investing capital funding on private property
o Tax-Exempt Bond Requirements; Benefits to Individual Customers; Liability
• Explore opportunities to create Public-Private Partnerships to leverage resources and reduce costs
o Loans, Grants, Creative Financing Options
• Establish interdepartmental/interagency Memoranda of Understanding to access land for GSI projects and clarify liability and maintenance requirements
POLICY & COORDINATION ISSUES: PWD Capital Investments on Private Property
ADDRESSING PERCEIVED LEGAL OBSTACLES
Engaged Legal Counsel to clarify use of Tax-Exempt Municipal Revenue Bonds to Finance GSI on private property Program must meet all requirements of State and Federal Law
1. PWD must maintain an ownership interest in the stormwater infrastructure on private land o Ensure continued existence and operation and maintenance o Easements and/or Deed Restrictions
2. Stormwater infrastructure on private land must be determined to be most cost effective way to meet obligations
3. Grant Program must be determined to further an overarching government purpose o Stormwater runoff mitigation o Compliance with CO&A o Environmental improvement
4. Any private benefits must be incidental to public good
ADDRESSING PERCEIVED LEGAL OBSTACLES
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS: PLANNING RESOURCES
• Free Stormwater Retrofit Conceptual Design and Cost Analysis
• BID Planning Grants: Feasibility studies for collective systems
PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS: FINANCIAL RESOURCES
• Loans: Low-interest (1.00%)
loans between $75,000 and $1,000,000
• Grants: $5M budgeted for
FY12; First round closed March 31 with 47 applicants requesting total of $23M
• Creative Private Financing: Working with
NRDC to explore options to involve private financial market, modeled on ESCO system
202,000 Philadelphia residents do not have a public green space within 1/2 mile (10-minute walk) of their home
Opportunity Sites
• 183 acres of PPR land that is either 90% impervious and underused
• 1,365 acres of schoolyards, many of which are largely paved
• 1,043 acres of publicly owned vacant land
GREEN2015: COLLABORATION WITH PARKS & RECREATION AND SCHOOL DISTRICT
• PWD has been working closely with PPR to design stormwater infrastructure at park and recreation sites
• Projects manage public stormwater runoff from impervious surfaces (e.g. basketball courts, playgrounds, etc) and right-of-way runoff from streets and sidewalks
INTEGRATING GSI INTO PARKS & RECREATION SPACE
• PWD actively approaches PPR with new project ideas
• PPR created a Stormwater Review Team to meet work with PWD on developing stormwater concepts
• PPR and PWD are working on
a manual of details for selected stormwater practices on park sites
INTEGRATING GSI INTO PARKS & RECREATION SPACE
PWD is partnering with PPR to add additional funds to planned capital improvement projects to manage additional runoff
o other areas of the park o adjacent right-of-way.
Project area of disturbance at Monkiewicz Recreation Center
INTEGRATING GSI INTO PARKS & RECREATION SPACE
• Combines resources and reduces costs
• Creates a unified design that provides maximum benefit to the community
• Consolidates construction time
1. Tree trench, rain garden, subsurface stone bed 2. Vegetated swale 3. Tree swale 4. Tree swale
PWD’s suggested project locations
INTEGRATING GSI INTO PARKS & RECREATION SPACE
INTEGRATING GSI INTO PARKS & RECREATION SPACE
Case Study: Partnering to Transform Vacant Land into Park
• New City park where stormwater management leads the design
• Park will capture and manage runoff from several nearby streets
• PWD and PPR are working closely with Community Ventures, who will develop the western side of the parcel
• PWD will own and maintain stormwater infrastructure; PPR will own and maintain park infrastructure
CONCLUSIONS • Strong Leadership, coupled with a clear Vision, is critical
to change o Local, State & Federal
• Passion and Patience are necessary when embarking on a program that diverges from traditional paths
• Collaboration is a must: o Planners, Landscape Architects, Engineers, Business Owners,
Developers, Community Representatives, Local Institutions, City & State Agencies
• Important to have Multiple Pathways to success and Remain Flexible
• In order to ensure long-term success, the program must be Fully Integrated into day-to-day processes and activities