Regional Project Profile
Friends Center Stormwater Management Project

Category: Implemented Design Retrofit
Type of BMP: Green roof, rain garden, trenches, cisterns, constructed wetland

| Description | Location | Partners | Cost | Contact |

An overarching goal of the project is to cease to contribute to the degradation of Philadelphia’s watershed. Currently, Friends Center’s CSO discharges 58,400,000 gallons per year of untreated stormwater runoff into the Schuylkill River.

With funding from the Kresge Foundation to conduct a green planning charrette, several stormwater management strategies were identified and integrated into the design of the renovation. These include a vegetated roof, a rain garden in the rear courtyard, and tree trenches along the site, which will replenish the local aquifer through infiltration. Underground cisterns will eliminate all stormwater discharge for the 1.75”/24-hour storm and will slow discharge in major storm events. A constructed wetland will provide natural on-site treatment for wastewater re-use, eliminating all sanitary waste discharge from the site. An “Eco-Machine” will treat wastewater, which along with stormwater management facilities will virtually unplug Friends Center from the city water system except for drinking water.

Exhibits outdoors and indoors coupled with educational programs will describe the strategies and encourage environmental responsibility.
 

County:         Philadelphia County
Watershed:   Schuylkill River

Friends Center is located in Center City Philadelphia and encompasses 3 buildings and 2 exterior courtyards that span 1.26 acres. The full project will restore the historic Meeting House and renovate a four-story office building. From the outset of the project, the Friends insisted that the renovation of the site and both buildings become models of energy conservation and environmentally sustainable design as practical and highly visible demonstrations of the Friends’ long-standing commitment to “treading lightly on the earth.” This commitment is reflected in the project’s series of stormwater management strategies.