WEEKLYPRESS.COM · UCREVIEW.COM · OCTOBER 26 · 2011 Fairmount Water Works Handles Flood Waters Swimmingly continued from page 1


the FWWIC’s monthly “Schuylkill Soundings” presentation, the Center’s Environmental Education Consultant, Megan Malloy, said the flooding of the fa- cility does not catch its staff unawares since the science- minded team keeps their eyes on weather reports. “Floods rarely come as a surprise,” Malloy said. “We know when it’s coming.” “We look at the weather predictions and consider how high the river is or how high it could get. “ She said many stream gauges in the Schuylkill measure the height and flow rate of the river. “We look at the river level over time at a specific loca- tion” to see how much and how fast it is rising. In addition to situation spe- cific readiness, she added, the center was designed with flooding in mind since its foundation sits within the river’s bed. The many com- puter touch screens in the main exhibit area are remov- able and the display panels in every exhibit throughout the building were designed to withstand submergence. Malloy said the average rain- fall in the Philadelphia area


in August and September is 41-43 inches. Irene dropped just under five inches. During Irene’s visit the river crested at 13.56 feet, and the flow rate was 85,000 cubic feet of water per second. Normally the river height is six feet and the average flow rate for September and Octo- ber is 780 to 1,000 cubic feet per second. At the river’s crest during Irene’s visit there were two- and-a-half feet of water in the main exhibit area. Irene is rated as the city’s ninth worst recorded storm. To prepare for Irene’s ex- pected flooding, Interpretive Center Staff removed all ex- hibits, desks, and counters from the main exhibit area. In non-public areas risers are in place to place items atop of, to keep them out of harm’s way, and they were fully used, Malloy said. And what would a river- based interpretive center be without fish? Fish in tanks in the main exhibit area were put into buckets and returned to their tanks after the flood waters receded. During the hurricane, Mal- loy said, the doors to the portals that overlook the river were left open, and the only protection against the rising river was a barricade


of sandbags. “It’s easier to let the water come in than fight it.” When the water left 18 hours later, the Schuylkill left be- hind a thick, chocolate-like sediment on the floors and other surfaces and also a red-eared slider turtle, min- nows and larger fish. In anticipation of the arrival of tropical storm Lee, FW- WIC staff kept their eyes and ears on weather forecasts overnight. Before dawn on Thursday, September 8, the center’s staff again began moving everything out of the water’s way. Malloy said it started coming in at 8 a.m. and very quickly there was a foot-and-half of water in the main exhibit area. The river crested at 12.53 feet at 10 a.m. that morning, she said. Before the storm, Mal- loy added, the river’s height was six feet. Lee receded in about 24 hours, she said. Lee is now on the books as the city’s 15th worst storm. Joanne Dahme, of the Water Works Public Affairs Depart- ment, said because Phila- delphia’s sewage and storm drainage systems share the same conduits, the sewage systems back up whenever there is a big storm in the city. And that proved true with the two late-summer


storms. Aside from increased street runoff when it rains, the sys- tem becomes swamped by runoff from the storm drains from the roofs of row hous- es. That happened in August in South Philadelphia, she said. And in Lee’s wake, Dahme said, storm sewers in Ger- mantown were so over- whelmed that water ran up the steps and through the front door of many row houses. So much water was running through the con- duits that manhole covers were blown off in places. Dahme said planning mod- els are needed to analyze the flow above ground, in the streets and below ground, in sewer pipes, and determine the volume of water in the system and how much more will be fed into it before the storm abates. From that, she said, plans can be made to protect property and to de- cide whether to move people out of the area. Helping to establish such a plan are water valves in the sewers to measure the amount of runoff. Storm water entering the system passes though them, but floodwaters already in the drains cannot pass in the other direction, Dahme said.


The data gathered from them alerts analysts about the volume of water headed into the system. It would also summarize the data of flood-prone areas and help people devise solutions. Some of the most talked about methods of restrict- ing street water runoff are greening solutions such as rain gardens, tree trenches and the replacement of as- phalt and concrete with pervious surfaces that al- low rainwater to drain to the ground. Dahme wel- comed such initiatives, but she warned that they are only part of the solution. But those earth-friendly alternatives are at the fore- front of the top of Chris Ber- gensen’s mind. Bergensen from the of the Water Works Office of Watersheds. He said the city has built 20 demonstration greening projects. Those projects include rain gardens, tree trenches and pervious ground surfaces. Rain gardens are planted in depressed areas near imper- vious surfaces from which storm water is diverted and drained onto the ground. Tree trenches are trenches dug next to sidewalks that are first lined with pervious fabric over which gravel or


stone is laid. Then trees are planted atop that. Water run off from the sidewalk is funneled into the ground. Pervious surfaces are used to replace asphalt and con- crete in mostly recreational areas such as playgrounds and basketball courts. The various methods di- vert water from the sew- age system by funneling through the ground and back into the rivers through the earth’s natural drainage process. The various systems di- vert only the first inch of rainwater, he said, adding that the city’s 20 projects performed well in divert- ing the storm’s deluge. He said his office measures the impact of greening systems by measuring water levels of storm water runoff and the amount of sediment it contains. Bergensen said many more greening projects will have to be installed before sub- stantial results will be seen. He expects it will take 25 years for the city’s greening projects to reach the points called for by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the Pennsylva- nia Department of Environ- mental Protection.


18th Annual Philly Cares Day Held October 22, 2011 3,000 Volunteers Implemented Projects Troughout the Region.


By Haywood Brewster Staff Reporter


G


reater Philadelphia Cares mobilized more than 3,000 volunteers


on Saturday, October 22 for the 18th annual Philly Cares Day. Projects were held at 91 sites throughout the region, including schools, commu- nity spaces, and recreation centers. The day started with a kick- off rally at South Philadel- phia High School. Mayor Michael A. Nutter and Principal Otis Hackney wel- comed the volunteers. Stu- dents from the high school’s Junior ROTC program part- nered with volunteers from the La Salle University Af- rican-American Student League, the Temple Univer- sity Asian Students Associa- tion, and Strategic Staffing Solutions. The day served as a celebration for the progress that is being made at South Philadelphia, a school that has experienced violence


and racial tension in the last several years. “I am so proud of to be a part of this effort and commend Greater Philadelphia Cares for coordinating this great day,” said Mayor Nutter. “It is especially important to engage volunteers at a time when the school district and community-based organiza- tions face tough budget chal- lenges. The efforts of these volunteers will not only help with projects today, but many will stay engaged and continue to contribute to our communities.”


Volunteers made a particular impact on the School District of Philadelphia, complet- ing projects at 65 schools throughout the city. Projects include painting, landscap- ing, and general mainte- nance. Philly Cares Day volunteers came from throughout the region and represented cor- porations, churches, uni- versities, and community


groups. For many, volun- teering on Philly Cares Day is a tradition and a way to strengthen bonds with co- workers, family, and friends. “Philly Cares Day has be- come a catalyst for long-term change,” said Martin Molloy, Executive Director of Greater Philadelphia Cares. “We are seeing our volunteers stay involved in their commu- nities beyond this one day, making a real commitment to take ownership for posi- tive social change.” In addition to the school district sites, projects were also implemented at 25 com- munity sites throughout the region. Project sites in Delaware and Montgomery Counties included: New Be- ginnings Academy (Chester, PA) and Paul V. Fly Elemen- tary School (Norristown, PA). Project sites in Phila- delphia included: A.S. Jenks Academics Plus School; Blaine Academics Plus School; Blakenburg School; Edwin M. Stanton School;


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Pictured above (left to right): Members of the South Philadelphia High School Junior ROTC, Martin Molloy (CEO, Greater Philadelphia Cares), Otis Hackney (Principal, South Philadelphia High School), Mayor Michael A. Nutter, Erica Atwood (Chair, Greater Philadelphia Cares/Specialist, Office of the Mayor), Terry Ruggles (NBC-10). Photo: Bill Z. Foster


Henry C. Lea School; Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School; Uni- versal Vare Charter Middle School; and William D. Kel- ley School. Greater Philadelphia Cares is the region’s volunteer ac-


tion center. We recruit, en- gage and manage volunteers through large scale days of service, a calendar of on-go- ing service opportunities, customized corporate and civic engagement as well as support two core programs;


Reading Stars & Neighbors in Action. In partnership with community based or- ganizations, GPC mobilizes volunteers to positively im- pact social needs in the eight county Philadelphia region.


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