project, with the goal of gleaning 721,000 gallons of stormwater from a one-acre section of roof, and using it in their manufacturing process. The project has so far provided the company with enough water to manufacture thousands of tons of paperboard. Encouraged by this success, Ferman and his team are currently working on phase two, which they hope to complete by the end of 2013. The Philadelphia Water Department and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation were so impressed by Newman’s rainwater harvesting initiative that
they awarded Newman a $370,000 stormwater management grant to offset a considerable portion of the design and construction costs of the next phase. Phase two will expand Newman’s rooftop rainwater harvesting area by five acres and glean up to 4.1 million additional gallons of rainwater per year. To reduce operational and manufacturing costs, AKRF engineered the system to utilize existing rain gutters and downspouts in conjunction with free draining gravity systems, and they also designed innovative flow diver-
sion structures to provide pretreatment for the dirtier “first flush” of rainstorm runoff. Rainwater harvesting is an age-old practicethat was once quite common. With the rising costs of natural resources, more companies like Newman and Company are rediscovering it as a way to save money while remediating stormwater runoff. Learn more about Newman and Company’s rainwater harvesting project at newmanpaperboard.com .
Storm Chasers Local partnership enhances green stormwater efforts by lauren mandel What’s the stormwater buzz in Philly? The Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia (SBN) is working with local businesses to enhance the stormwater infrastructure industry through Green Stormwater Infrastructure (GSI) Partners, a program to enhance technological and economic opportunities surrounding green roofs, rain gardens and other landscape elements that reduce stormwater runoff and visually enhance our neighborhoods. “The GSI Partners and its member businesses have the opportunity to be the model for other cities across the country,” says Anna Shipp, GSI Partners project manager. The EPA is applying legal pressure on many U.S. cities to clean up their stormwater and eliminate combined sewer overflows, but Philadelphia is the first to organize a local network of relevant design, build and maintenance entities, giving the city a unique opportunity to shape the industry within the national spotlight. Members receive access to continuing education funds, communication with stakeholders and regulatory agencies and policy briefings.
New partnership seeks to support companies creating green stormwater infrastructure, like this rain garden planting.
To learn more, contact Shipp at anna@sbnphiladelphia.org or 215.922.7400 ext. 107.
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