Sustainable Funding for Philadelphia's Green City, Clean Waters Plan

In 2011, the City of Philadelphia adopted the Green City, Clean Waters (GCCW) plan to help meet its regulatory obligation under the Clean Water Act to reduce pollution resulting from combined sewer overflows. The 25-year plan envisions the City implementing approximately 9,564 "greened acres" (GA) with green stormwater infrastructure (GSI), which, along with other stormwater practices, will capture 85% of annual runoff into the sewer system in a typical year. Additionally, the plan represents a transition from managing stormwater based solely on a gray infrastructure system to managing stormwater through a hybrid system that incorporates both gray and green infrastructure. The implementation cost was initially estimated at $2.4 billion and updated to $4.5 billion in 2021.

 

The GCCW plan implementation has generated significant benefits, including $60 million added to local economies and expansion of the local GSI industry (an estimated 430 jobs), according to a five-year review by the Sustainable Business Network and Econsult Solutions issued in 2016. The report found that GSI is generally cheaper than conventional built infrastructure, which is vital in keeping rates affordable, while also creating additional neighborhood benefits.

 

This report considers the sustainability of the funding and financing strategies that support reaching the target set out in the GCCW plan, with a specific focus on advancing and installing GSI on private non-residential land and non-City owned public land.