Philadelphia Stormwater Collection: A Grassroots Approach to Improving Water Quality

Abstract

Since its founding by the Quakers and the Dutch, the City of Philadelphia has relied on nearby waterways for commerce, transportation, and drinking water. The Philadelphia Metropolitan Area encompasses five watersheds -- Darby-Cobbs, Delaware, Pennypack, Poquessing, Schuylkill, Tookany-Frankford, and Wissahickon.1 The natural abundance of streams and rivers allowed Philadelphia to develop into an industrial hub during the 19th century. This industrialization lead to rapid urbanization, which in turn lead to frequent public health epidemics where water-borne illnesses, most commonly Typhoid Fever, killed large numbers of Philadelphia residents. In the late 19th century, the City’s planners and engineers installed a sewer system to carry off human and factory refuse. This sewer system utilized the myriad of natural streams and rivers meandering through Philadelphia and the surrounding area. The new system took advantage of gravity and allowed the water to carry away the wastewater through the City to the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers. Pipes for the new sewer system were lain in creek beds throughout the city and then covered with dirt to make level ground. The sewer installation drastically changed Philadelphia’s topography and hydrology. Prior to installation, Philadelphia had 283 linear miles of creeks and streams; after installation, only 118 linear miles remained. The maps in figure 1 illustrate the before and after: TABULAR OR GRAPHIC MATERIAL SET FORTH AT THIS POINT IS NOT DISPLAYABLE.