A South Philadelphia Elementary School Gets Rainwater Management System

By Mike DeNardo

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Part of the asphalt playground at a South Philadelphia school has been transformed into a rain garden.

The new perimeter of the blacktop playground at the Nebinger Elementary School, Sixth and Carpenter Streets, is a small oasis of mulch and plants.  It's a $400,000 effort to help stormwater management, according to EPA regional administrator Shawn Garvin.

"When you're talking about urban areas, you're talking about a lot of concrete," he points out.  "You're talking a lot of runoff.  So any areas in which you can find the opportunity to put in rain gardens and other green infrastructure, you really want to take advantage of that."

The rain garden project includes a curriculum developed by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary.

"One of the most important things about rain gardens is that they capture water when it rains," notes executive director Jen Adkins.  "They help prevent flooding and pollution. They get the water back into the ground instead of having it run off into streams."

The project is part of an ongoing effort by the Philadelphia Water Department to create more green space in the city.

In:
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