Grantee Research Project Results
2019 Progress Report: Taking it to the Streets: Green Infrastructure for Sustainable Philadelphia Communities
EPA Grant Number: R835558Title: Taking it to the Streets: Green Infrastructure for Sustainable Philadelphia Communities
Investigators: Ballestero, Thomas P
Institution: University of New Hampshire
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: October 1, 2013 through September 30, 2017 (Extended to September 30, 2020)
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 2018 through September 30,2019
Project Amount: $992,759
RFA: Performance and Effectiveness of Green Infrastructure Stormwater Management Approaches in the Urban Context: A Philadelphia Case Study (2012) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Watersheds , Water
Objective:
This project proposes to build municipal capacity in the greater Philadelphia urban watersheds for Green Infrastructure (GI) by engaging local and regional stakeholders in a planning and implementation process that is supported by science-based resources and up-to-date relevant technical information. This will be accomplished by:
1) Forming and working with a multi-sector project Advisory Board that will guide the implementation of the project goals with the project partners;
2) Increasing municipal familiarity with the design, construction, and maintenance of green infrastructure practices through the installation of high impact, high-visibility demonstration projects;
3) Increasing municipal capacity to implement green infrastructure by identifying existing social/ economic/ knowledge/ technical barriers and prioritization of strategies;
4) Developing partnerships within and between government and other stakeholders in the City;
5) Clear tracking of green jobs and job opportunities associated with GI implementation;
6) Targeting outreach and dissemination of technical and informational resources through approaches identified and prioritized by the Advisory Board that is likely to include, but not limited to, community forums, training workshops on technical and regulatory elements of green infrastructure, web resources, printed materials, public school programs, and other approaches.
Progress Summary:
Task 1. Collaborative Planning and Demonstration Project Implementation
Monitoring at the completed Chester Arthur Elementary School continued. A weather station was installed. A collaboration for the schoolyard redevelopment and stormwater management of the Tanner Duckrey Elementary School is in progress.
Task 2. Land Use, Impervious Cover, and Pollutant Loading Analysis
EPA's Stormwater Management Model (SWMM) is being employed to evaluate the error associated with GI system modeling by comparing model results to field measurements, and to develop an understanding of the impact of system sizing on stormwater runoff control as wells as the costs to meet stormwater management objectives. The continuing efforts in 2019 focused on the performance of SWMM in the design phase specifically in how SWMM estimates infiltration versus the actual infiltration measured in systems. Systems presently being modeled include: Horne Street, A-lot, E-lot, and Chester Arthur. On the watershed scale, the Berry Brook watershed, that has two dozen GSI systems, is also being modeled.
Task 3. Performance Monitoring
The following sites continue to be monitored to understand volume reduction and peak flow attenuation: A-Lot Philadelphia Tree Trench; E-Lot Philadelphia Tree Trench; Grove Street subsurface gravel filter; Kettlebell subsurface gravel filter; Horne Street bioretention; Chester Arthur Elementary School (porous asphalt; bioretention).
A field campaign continues in measuring permeable pavement infiltration capacity to understand whether the rate is sustainable or reduces with time, with and without maintenance.
Task 4. Resource Framework Development
The Philadelphia Tree Trench design was varied by installing the influent pipe on the bottom (PWD specification) and at the top (UNH innovation). The data from both systems reveal that locating the pipe on the bottom results in a much higher frequency of premature bypass (overflow). This results from hydraulic inefficiency as well as the increased demand for more frequent maintenance.
Lateral infiltration in stormwater systems is rarely given credit, often not modeled, yet a significant source of volume reduction. Lateral infiltration models were developed to estimate this volume loss while in the design phase.
Soil samples from bioretention systems were taken and analyzed for organic carbon content. This will be used to estimate carbon storage in the systems over time.
Task 5. Green Infrastructure Training and Design and Implementation Capacity Building
In 2019, EPA sponsored a one-day conference for all 5 EPA STAR awardees studying green stormwater infrastructure in the Philadelphia region. UNH gave three talks in this conference. In addition, UNH help various direct discussions with PWD personnel on system design and performance.
Task 6. Outreach and K-12 Education
The weather station for the Chester Arthur Elementary School was installed. The school principal is assisting selection of faculty/staff at the school interested in developing curricula that include the stormwater systems and the weather station data. Some project results were built into the UNH stormwater certification courses.
Future Activities:
Task 1. Collaborative Planning and Demonstration Project Implementation
Continue developing concepts and designs for Duckrey Elementary School.
Task 2. Land Use, Impervious Cover, and Pollutant Loading Analysis
Complete SWMM modeling comparisons to field data and assess how to better model infiltration with SWMM.
Task 3. Performance Monitoring
Continue monitoring: A-Lot Philadelphia Tree Trench; E-Lot Philadelphia Tree Trench; Grove Street subsurface gravel filter; Horne Street bioretention; Chester Arthur Elementary School (porous asphalt; bioretention). In addition, continue porous pavement infiltration monitoring.
Task 4. Resource Framework Development
Understand carbon storage in bioretention systems. Finalize design technical note for tree trench systems. Develop a technical memo for permeable pavement infiltration dataset.
Task 5. Green Infrastructure Training and Design and Implementation Capacity Building
Offer one or two presentations for PWD. Include data results into UNH certification training courses.
Task 6.Outreach and K-12 Education
Train faculty/staff on accessing the Chester Arthur weather station system, integrate weather station and stormwater data into class curricula.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 44 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
Stormwater, modeling, infiltration, permeable pavementsProgress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.
Project Research Results
- Final Report
- 2018 Progress Report
- 2017 Progress Report
- 2016 Progress Report
- 2015 Progress Report
- 2014 Progress Report
- Original Abstract
1 journal articles for this project