Green Stormwater Infrastructure

When rain falls in natural areas, the water is absorbed and filtered by soil and plants. In urban areas, the rain water cannot absorb into the ground. This stormwater flows over hard surfaces, picking up pollution and carrying it into nearby waterways.

Green infrastructure uses vegetation, soils, and other elements to restore the natural processes required to manage and clean stormwater.

Scheduled Projects

• 6th Street and Sumner Avenue Rain Garden
  A Growing Greener Grant will be used to construct this rain garden beginning in August 2019. Initial BMP Effectiveness Calculations estimate pollutant reduction benefits for the Jordan Creek as: Phosphorus = 27 lb./yr.; Nitrogen = 224 lb./yr.; Total Suspended Solids = 17,000 lb./yr.

Gray Stormwater Infrastructure

Traditional stormwater infrastructure, called gray infrastructure, includes storm drains and pipes which concentrate and move stormwater away from the built environment and into streams, untreated.

The City’s oldest stormwater pipes are over 100 years old. This public system consists of approximately 300 miles of pipes.

Crews routinely inspect and rank pipe integrity using closed circuit television (CCTV).

Scheduled Projects

The following lining projects will begin later this Summer. More than one mile of pipe will be repaired.

• Turner Street: Arch Street to North 29th Street
• North 29th Street: Turner Street to Parkway Boulevard
• South 9th Street: Cumberland Street to Susquehanna Street
• North 8th Street: Greenleaf Street to Whitehall Street
• South Franklin St.: Walnut Street to Maple Street
• Greenleaf Street: 21st Street to St Elmo Street
• Benton Street: South 9th Street to MH4
• Benton Street: MH4 to Fountain Street
• South Lumber St.: Cumberland Street to Susquehanna Street
• North Irving Street: Sycamore Street to East Tilghman Street
• East Turner Street: North Maxwell Street to MH56
• East Turner Street: MH56 to North Jay Street
• Greenleaf Street: St. Elmo Street to Albright Avenue
• East Washington St.: Lacrosse Street to Kiowa Street
• North Irving Street: East Tilghman Street to East Green Street
• South 12th Street: Nevada Street to St. John Street
• St. John Street: South 12th Street to Jefferson Street (MH27 to MH26)
• St. John Street: South 12th Street to Jefferson Street
• Walnut Street: South Hall Street to South 8th Street (MH26 to MH21)