The SMPs discussed in this Manual incorporate a variety of technologies designed to manage stormwater. Disconnect impervious surfaces by directing runoff to pervious areas, wherever possible. Learn More. Updated presoak and rate measurement requirements for infiltration tests. Some projects may need to meet multiple requirements, while others may be subject to only certain portions of the Stormwater Regulations (Figure 2). Stormwater Billing and Incentives can be reached during normal business hours (8 am to 5 pm) at (215) 685- 6070 or pwd.stormwatercredits@phila.gov for Credits and Incentives Program-related questions. In addition, Philadelphia Water unveiled a brand new website, redesigned to provide easy access to the Stormwater Management Guidance Manual and to submit a project application online. Obtain information on post-construction and operations and maintenance (O&M) requirements. Our Advocacy Committee has agreed that they want to conduct a formal review of and comment on this new Manual. Private Development Services is responsible for administering the Department's Stormwater Regulations through the review, construction inspection, and maintenance inspection of development sites. At its core, the Manual provides detailed guidance for the applicant on how to most quickly and efficiently comply with the Stormwater Regulations or meet PWD design criteria for Development, Stormwater Retrofits, and other construction projects. the Philadelphia Stormwater Management Guidance Manual. Lastly – Philadelphia Water is also publishing a new Stormwater Retrofit Guidance Manual for non-residential customers looking to retrofit existing properties with stormwater management features to save money on their stormwater bill. Chapters 1 through 4 focus on the stormwater design, submittal, and approval process, while Chapters 5 and 6 discuss construction and post-construction topics. While non-structural options, such as reducing the amount of impervious cover and designing for disconnected impervious cover (DIC), are preferred strategies that the designer should consider before proposing SMPs, PWD recognizes that many development projects will need to use SMPs to comply with the Stormwater Regulations. The Stormwater Regulations require, and PWD design criteria for Stormwater Retrofits outline, on-site stormwater management for certain Development and Stormwater Retrofit projects, respectively, helping to improve the health and vitality of Philadelphia’s waterways along with the City’s own sizable clean water investments. Summary of Guidance Manual Feedback. In Philadelphia, this approach was found to be cost prohibitive for residents; it also did not meet restoration goals for the City’s waterways. Implementing CSO control and Municipal Separate Stormwater Sewer Systems (MS4) permit programs (descriptions below), Reducing the quantity of sediment to Wissahickon Creek to under the siltation Total Maximum Daily Load, Investing in identifying and reducing major potential sources of contamination, including stormwater runoff, which could affect the drinking water supply, Reducing the amount of pollutants entering Philadelphia’s source waters and treatment facilities through implementation of the Stormwater Regulations, Requiring that development activities comply with the Stormwater Regulations and other measurable benchmarks, Aligning Stormwater Regulations with Act 167 Plan requirements for local waterways, Implementing public water quality improvement projects such as SMPs and stream restoration projects, Implementing illicit discharge elimination programs, Implementing public outreach and education programs, Regulating development and Industrial dischargers, Monitoring industrial and commercial dischargers, Implementing green stormwater practices, wastewater upgrades, and other improvements through. Review Philadelphia Water's Stormwater Management Guidance Manualto determine applicable E&S requirements, and understand what approvals or permits must be obtained before construction. CSOs occur when combined sewers (sewers that convey both stormwater and sewage in the same pipe) reach capacity as a result of stormwater runoff entering the pipe network during rain and snowmelt events. Summer 2014- Philadelphia Water sought feedback about the Stormwater Management Guidance Manual by conducting telephone interviews with frequent users of the manual. If additional clarity or discussion is required, the applicant is encouraged to request in-person meetings. The applicant must receive approvals from PWD before a Zoning or Building Permit may be issued; Coordinating with other reviewing entities such as the Philadelphia City Planning Commission (PCPC), Philadelphia Streets Department (Streets Department), and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP), to ensure that consistent information is provided by the applicant to all agencies; Administering inspection activities to ensure that SMPs are installed according to the approved plans; Conducting inspections at the close of construction to record information about the project’s as-built conditions, which the applicant must incorporate into a Record Drawing; and. Table 2 provides an overview of the many State and Federal laws that require PWD to work toward cleaning up Philadelphia’s waterways. When using SMPs to meet PWD’s Water Quality requirement, the applicant must use infiltrating SMPs, which allow water to soak into the ground rather than holding and releasing it. 6 Post-Construction and Operations and Maintenance Guidance, 1.2.1 Post-Construction Stormwater Management Requirements, 1.2.2 Erosion and Sediment Control Requirement, 1.3.1 Retrofit Project Applicability and Initiation, 1.3.2 Retrofit Project Requirements and Guidance, 2.4 Expedited Post-Construction Stormwater Management Plan Reviews, 2.6 PWD’s Role in Philadelphia's Development Process, 2.7 PWD and Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, 2.0.1 Understanding PWD’s Stormwater Review Process, 2.7.1 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permits, 3.1 Site Assessment and Stormwater Management Strategies, 3.3 Infiltration Testing and Soil Assessment for SMP Design, 3.5 Integrated Stormwater Management Examples, 3.0.2 Integrated Site and Stormwater Management Assessment and Design Process Overview, 3.0.3 Interactions between Design Strategies, Stormwater Regulations, and Review Paths, 3.1.1 Background Site Factors and Site Factors Inventory, 3.1.7 Pollutant- Reducing Practices and Roof Runoff Isolation, 3.1.8 How to Use SMPs to Comply with the Regulations, 3.2.2 SMP Hierarchy and Selection Process, 3.2.4 Stormwater Management Banking and Trading, 3.2.5 SMP Design Guidance and General Requirements, 3.3.1 Infiltration Testing and Soil Characterization Plan Development, 3.3.6 Evaluation of Infiltration Testing Results, 3.4.1 Regulatory Compliance Documentation Requirements, 3.4.3 Calculation Methods and Design Tools, 3.5.1 Commercial Office Building Development, 3.5.2 Residential Multi-Family Development, 4.1.1 Bioinfiltration/ Bioretention Introduction, 4.1.2 Bioinfiltration/ Bioretention Components, 4.1.3 Bioinfiltration/ Bioretention Design Standards, 4.1.4 Bioinfiltration/ Bioretention Material Standards, 4.1.5 Bioinfiltration/ Bioretention Construction Guidance, 4.1.6 Bioinfiltration/ Bioretention Maintenance Guidance, 4.2.5 Porous Pavement Construction Guidance, 4.2.6 Porous Pavement Maintenance Guidance, 4.4.1 Subsurface Infiltration Introduction, 4.4.3 Subsurface Infiltration Design Standards, 4.4.4 Subsurface Infiltration Material Standards, 4.4.5 Subsurface Infiltration Construction Guidance, 4.4.6 Subsurface Infiltration Maintenance Guidance, 4.7.3 Pond and Wet Basin Design Standards, 4.7.4 Pond and Wet Basin Material Standards, 4.7.5 Pond and Wet Basin Construction Guidance, 4.7.6 Pond and Wet Basin Maintenance Guidance, 4.8.3 Subsurface Detention Design Standards, 4.8.4 Subsurface Detention Material Standards, 4.8.5 Subsurface Detention Construction Guidance, 4.8.6 Subsurface Detention Maintenance Guidance, 5.1.1 Coordinating Inspections with Other PWD Units, 5.2.1 Erosion and Sediment-Related Construction Issues, 5.2.2 Stormwater Management Practice-Related Construction Issues, 6.2 Stormwater Management Practice Inspection Guidance, 6.1.1 Maintenance Requirements for Property Owners, 6.1.2 Operations and Maintenance Agreements, Table E-1: General Plan Sheet Requirements, Table E-2: Existing Conditions Plan Requirements, Table E-3: Conceptual Stormwater Management Plan Requirements, Table E-4: Erosion and Sediment Control Plan Requirements, Table E-5: Standard Erosion and Sediment Control Notes, Table E-6: Standard Sequence of Construction Notes, Table E-7: Post-Construction Stormwater Management Plan Report Requirements, F.2 Post-Construction Stormwater Management Plan, F.5 Infiltration Testing and Soil Assessment, F.6 Hydrologic Model and Calculation Methods, Chapter 1 – Stormwater Management Requirements, Chapter 2 – Submission, Review, and Approval Procedures, Chapter 3 – Site Design and Stormwater Management Integration, Chapter 4 – Stormwater Management Practice Guidance, Chapter 6 – Post-Construction and Operations & Maintenance Guidance, Stormwater Management Service Charge Credits and Appeals Manual, Learn about the Stormwater Regulations and Stormwater Retrofits, determine if a project is subject to the Stormwater Regulations, and find out which requirements need to be met, Understand the submission and review process for a project and get detailed guidance in preparing submissions to PWD, Learn how to perform site assessments, including infiltration testing, and design stormwater management controls, including disconnected impervious cover and SMPs, to comply with the Stormwater Regulations, Obtain SMP-specific guidance on use, applicability, components, design requirements, materials specifications, construction sequencing, and O&M, Understand PWD’s construction inspection process, identify common problems with SMP and Erosion and Sediment Control (E&S) construction, and prepare a Construction Certification Package and Record Drawings, Understand PWD’s SMP maintenance requirements, learn how to inspect, operate, and maintain SMPs and other stormwater controls, get detailed guidance on O&M Agreements, and apply for stormwater credits, Restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waterways, To ensure safe drinking water for the public by establishing standards for water quality, The Pennsylvania Stormwater Management Act of 1978, Develop county-based stormwater management plans to ensure that stormwater is managed properly, particularly with regard to flooding, Reduce and eliminate sources of pollution coming from municipally-owned separate sewer systems into the Nation’s water bodies, Eliminate discharges of untreated wastewater through combined sewer overflows into the nation’s waterbodies. PWD prepared and submitted to PA DEP a Long Term Control Plan Update (LTCPU) known as Green City, Clean Waters, to outline specific steps needed to implement the provisions of the CO&A. Stormwater Billing and Incentives currently has two websites that contain important information for property owners, the development community, stormwater vendors, and others looking to assess or amend their Stormwater Charge or apply for incentives for voluntary Stormwater Retrofit projects. Land development activities, such as the construction of new buildings, roads, driveways, and parking lots, can lead to increased stormwater runoff and pollution. Clean Water Act: The Clean Water Act (CWA) of 1972 aims to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation’s waterways. PWD submitted its original Long Term Control Plan in 1997. Within Private Development Services are two programs: Stormwater Plan Review and Stormwater Inspections. One program administered by this group, the Stormwater Grant Program, provides funding for design and construction of voluntary Stormwater Retrofits on eligible, non-residential property. Please use the links on the right to learn more about these topics. The Bureau of Clean Water administers the NPDES permitting and compliance monitoring programs for industrial, municipal, and construction stormwater in Pennsylvania, and oversees the implementation of the Act 167 stormwater management program in DEP’s regional offices. What is stormwater? If parking is provided in a surface parking lot and the applicant provides more than 20 spaces beyond the minimum off-street parking required by this Zoning Code, all surface spaces beyond the minimum required shall be surfaced with pervious paving materials that meet the design standards of the Philadelphia Stormwater Management Guidance Manual. This site provides information for development and redevelopment projects that trigger Philadelphia's stormwater regulations. When this happens, the PA DEP permits Philadelphia, as is common with other cities containing combined sewer systems, to discharge excess untreated wastewater into nearby waterbodies. While PWD is investing billions of dollars to implement the bulk of the required upgrades, PWD, through the Stormwater Regulations (Appendix C), also requires the development community to do its part to help manage stormwater. Figure 3: Stormwater Approval Process for Projects on the Development Compliance Review Path Showing Relationship to Major City Approvals. This group is responsible for assessing and adjusting the Stormwater Management Service Charge (Stormwater Charge) for parcels within the City of Philadelphia based on the property classification, gross parcel area, and impervious parcel area. Stormwater regulations are changing around the country to address these and similar problems. Upon submission of an Existing Resources and Site Analysis (ERSA) Application and depending on the project’s Review Path, there will be different Review Phases. Our Advocacy Committee has agreed that they want to conduct a formal review of and comment on this new Manual. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Stormwater Management Guidance Manual: Philadelphia Water: 2015: San Antonio: San Antonio LID Guidance Manual: Center for Research in Water Resources: 2011: Tahoe Region: Tahoe Regional Planning Agency BMP Handbook: Tahoe regional Planning Agency: 2014: Toronto: Toronto Low Impact Development Stormwater Management … We also assisted in developing the Philadelphia Stormwater Management Guidance Manual, which helps explain program requirements and new design guidelines for area developers. The fastest way to get a project through the review process is to provide PWD with a high-quality submission that meets all of the submission requirements. Visit PWDplanreview.org to access the manual This manual has been removed but the current retrofit standards generally align with the Philadelphia Stormwater Management Guidance Manual. development in Philadelphia Stormwater Management Guidance Manual. Infiltration is the main focus of the Stormwater Regulations, as these SMPs also filter out pollutants and thus are the most beneficial for improving water quality. It provides SMP-specific information on applicability and uses, components, design requirements, material specifications, and construction and maintenance guidance. Philadelphia Stormwater Management Guidance Manual. In Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 of the Manual, PWD provides guidance for an array of SMPs that offer design solutions for many different types of sites. In a natural, undeveloped environment, rain falls on the ground and evaporates or is absorbed into the soil. More information on Stormwater Retrofits can be found in Section 1.3, and Sections 2.2.4 and 2.3.4 contain information on the Stormwater Retrofit Review Path and Review Phase, respectively. This water is referred to as stormwater or stormwater runoff. Review Paths are a linear series of submission and review steps (Review Phases) taken to obtain stormwater management approval or exemption. Private Development Services is a program within the PWD Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Implementation Unit. Any new landscape within the waterfront setback shall use the plantings included on the native and non-invasive planting list in the Philadelphia Stormwater Management Guidance Manual. To determine if a project lies within a CSO area of the City, visit the CSOcast site. Then, in June 2011, PWD and PA DEP entered into a Consent Order and Agreement (CO&A), a binding legal agreement that outlines the water quality targets the City needs to meet to reduce CSOs. This site provides information to private-landowners who want to retrofit their property with stormwater management practices. PWD requires that the applicant provide documentation of these conditions and request a waiver from the infiltration requirement via the Online Technical Worksheet. The Appendices contain additional resources, including watershed and Flood Management District mapping, submission checklists, a sample Record Drawing, and landscape guidance. These changing regulations include new approaches to stormwater management, which often require improvements in stormwater quality prior to discharge, reductions in the volume and rate of runoff, and reductions in stormwater-related erosion and sedimentation. Coordinates with other reviewing entities, such as PA DEP, to ensure that consistent information is provided by the applicant to all agencies. Chapter 3 and Chapter 4 provide detailed guidance to the applicant in designing stormwater management systems that comply with the Stormwater Regulations and PWD design requirements for Stormwater Retrofits. The goal of healthy, clean rivers in Philadelphia is an ambitious one, but one that PWD and its partners are aggressively working toward. The E&S Requirement stipulates that practices be employed during construction to reduce any erosion and sedimentation that occur as a result of development activities. The City of Philadelphia is required, by a series of State and Federal regulations and mandates, to clean up its waterways. For the Conceptual Review Phase, PWD strives to review all complete Conceptual Review Phase Submission Packages within five calendar days. All information sessions are identical, so you can pick which date works for you. The Green Streets Design Manual provides design standards and procedural guidance for developing green streets that manage stormwater runoff. (q) Operations & Maintenance Agreement (O & M Agreement): Agreement between the Property Owner and the City which The new Stormwater Management Guidance Manual goes into effect today, July 1st. The Philadelphia Stormwater Management Guidance Manual (the Manual, or SMGM) is a comprehensive resource for the development community in complying with the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) Stormwater Regulations (Stormwater Regulations) and designing stormwater management on private property. 4 Stormwater Management Practice Guidance, Ch. Stormwater Management Regulations Stormwater Management rules from the Philadelphia Code, Section 14-1603.1. Clarified test method procedures for borehole infiltration tests. As design, submittal, and review processes are closely related, the applicant will find cross-referencing throughout the Manual, particularly between Chapters 2 and 3. important alert about this very important thing!! This website has information about how to apply for a Stormwater Grant, including updates on application deadlines, the Stormwater Grants Application Guide, and additional resources. The applicant should use each Chapter as follows: Table 1: How to Use the Chapters in this Manual. The regulatory applicability factors include its development type, its watershed, and the amount of earth disturbance associated with the project. In addition, Philadelphia Water unveiled a brand new website, redesigned to provide easy access to the Stormwater Management Guidance Manual and to submit a project application online. PWD’s approach differs from the methods used by other cities to address CSOs, which typically involves building large, underground tunnels and storage tanks to temporarily hold combined sewer water so that it can eventually be treated by wastewater plants. The goal is to highlight aspects of the Manual that support the prioritization of GSI as well as to identify areas that could be improved to better supports the prioritization of GSI. Stormwater Billing and Incentives is another program within the PWD GSI Implementation Unit. City of Philadelphia Stormwater Management Guidance Manual 2.0 (1 of 4) 4. Please read this Please read this important alert about Every acre of impervious cover in Philadelphia produces about 1 million gallons of polluted runoff per year, causing sewer overflows, degraded stream habitat, and water quality problems. PCSM Requirements regulate how stormwater runoff leaves a project site in the built, or post-development, condition. This manual has been removed but the current retrofit standards generally align with the Philadelphia Stormwater Management Guidance Manual. PWD’s Stormwater Regulations fall into two categories, Post-Construction Stormwater Management (PCSM) Requirements and an E&S Requirement. about something very important! 3. Philadelphia Water will host five information sessions this summer at the Municipal Services Building. Review of stormwater management plans is authorized by section 14-704 of the Philadelphia Code. The Stormwater Grants website is specifically geared for property owners looking to apply for a Stormwater Grant, which can offset costs associated with a voluntary Stormwater Retrofit on their property. Since 2011, private developers have built over 900 green stormwater management tools in the city, and the new regulations will provide incentives for even more.