Incentive-Based Systems to Leverage Investment in Philadelphia’s Green Stormwater Infrastructure

AKRF is assisting Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) in providing design assistance for private property owners interested in participating in PWD’s stormwater credit program.   The program provides a monetary stormwater service charge credit for property owners that implement green stormwater practices, such as green roofs and bioretention systems. 

The AKRF team is helping PWD provide stormwater site evaluations and conceptual design plans to targeted property owners of private commercial sites with large areas of impervious surfaces. As part of this effort, AKRF is developing data collection and management tools and protocols that streamline and customize site assessment, concept design, and cost estimating process.

These include:  

• A database of standard protocols, Best Management Practice (BMP) assessments, customized tools and resources for field screening and feasibility assessments, and standard reporting requirements
• A Field Assessment Protocol and ArcPad application that support field data collection using handheld computers
• A generic Health & Safety Plan (HASP), which outlines health and safety protocols to be implemented for anyone performing on-site surveys
• A Desktop Screening Protocol to collect and synthesize existing data resources that provide insight into stormwater management opportunities and constraints within each identified property
• A GIS database for managing the portfolio of identified sites and querying base mapping with elements such as data dictionaries, report and mapping templates, synchronization with field computers, and cost and crediting algorithms for various BMP strategies
• An on-line tracking tool for monitoring progress of concurrent projects