Traditionally, the response to the flow and buildup of stormwater has been to redirect and channel it toward streams for a quick fix. The redirected stormwater carries pollutants from roofs, roads, cars, and lawns into our waterways. Our polluted streams drain into the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers, which serve as drinking water sources for millions of people. The inflexible nature of underground pipes also makes our roads susceptible to flooding, as you can often observe during storms.

The Growing Greener Streets program provides site-specific advice and support to help residents reduce their impacts on our waterways. We are working with neighbors in strategically targeted sections of Narberth, Ardmore, and Villanova to maximize benefits. Growing Greener Streets builds off of the Stream Smart program, specifically the Delmont Avenue Green Street.

Typical projects include re-directing downspouts from paved areas to planted areas, removing unnecessary paved areas, installing rain barrels or downspout planters to reduce the quantity of runoff during storms, and planting rain gardens to capture more significant amounts of water. Actions as simple as maintaining existing trees and planting new ones have wide-reaching benefits. Growing Greener Streets work will begin in spring 2021.