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Phila > Water > Water Utility > Stormwater > Stormwater Grants

Stormwater Grants

Grant Application Resources

Look up a property's stormwater charge Parcel Viewer

Estimate potential savings Credits Explorer

Learn more about the application process Stormwater Grants Application Guide

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Resources

Enhance your property.
Reduce your monthly bill.
Clean up Philadelphia’s waterways.

Stormwater grants can pay for the design and construction of stormwater retrofit projects on non-residential properties in Philadelphia. Stormwater retrofit projects provide an opportunity to add new landscaping, fix drainage problems, and improve the appearance of a property. After a project is complete, the property owner qualifies for lower stormwater charges on his or her monthly bill.

These stormwater retrofit projects are a cost-effective way for the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) to reduce stormwater pollution in Philadelphia’s creeks and rivers. PWD partners with the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) to award millions in stormwater grants every year.

Application: New deadline, requirements, and evaluation

  • For the next fiscal year, there is one application deadline: May 1st, 2020. Another deadline could be added if we receive a high number of qualified applications. Awards will be announced approximately three months after the grant deadline, pending confirmation of city budgets.
  • All property owners and grant managers must attend a pre-application meeting at least one month before the application deadline.
  • We’ve revised how we evaluate the strength of a stormwater grant application. See the How we evaluate your application” section on page 21 of the Stormwater Grants Application Guide for details.
New Project Requirements
  • Projects must manage at least the first 1.5” of rainfall citywide.
  • Licenses and Inspections permits will be required for all projects. Keep this in mind for project budget and timeline development.
  • Loading ratios for subsurface infiltration systems are now the same for both the combined sewer system and separate sewer system (10:1).
New Guidance
  • We’ve updated the Stormwater Grants Application Guide.
    • We’ve included a Common Application Mistakes Checklist for project teams to evaluate their application before applying.
    • We’ve added a template for the Proof of Consent, which confirms that the property owner will sign PWD’s Subgrant Agreement and Operations and Maintenance Agreement. See the Guide’s appendix for a template.
    • We’ve added a template for the Letter of Intent for projects applying under the Alt-SMIP and GARP models, which confirms that the property owner will work with the applicant as a project team. See the Guide’s appendix for a template.
  • We are currently updating the Stormwater Retrofit Manual to reflect updates to our program. As this is underway, please refer to the Philadelphia Stormwater Management Guidance Manual for technical guidance. Stormwater retrofit projects generally follow the Water Quality design criteria for requirements not specified within the Stormwater Grants Application Guide.

Project Models

Anyone can apply for a stormwater grant with permission from the property owner. When a project is awarded a grant, the applicant is responsible for signing an agreement with PIDC and handling the administration of the grant.

PWD offers three options for interested applicants to receive a stormwater grant:

  • Standard SMIP: the property owner or tenant applies for and manages the grant
  • Alternative SMIP: a community group, non-profit organization, or vendor applies for and manages the grant
  • GARP: a vendor bundles multiple properties into a single application

How to Apply

Please read our Stormwater Grants Application Guide for detailed instructions on the application process. This Guide will help you determine your project model. Note that our website is updated more frequently than the Guide, so please use all Application Deadlines listed on this website, rather than the Guide, when discrepancies exist.

We strongly encourage contacting us during the initial stages of an application so we can help you prepare a competitive application.

Application Deadlines

Applications can be submitted at any time, with grant awards made once a year. The deadline to apply for the next grant period is May 1st, 2020. PWD will review the applications during the spring and announce awards in July.

Pre-application meetings with all property owners and project team members are required for each grant application. If intending to apply for the May 1 deadline, a pre-application meeting must be held by April 1st, 2020.

Here to Help You

PWD provides assistance throughout the stormwater grant application and implementation process. From feedback on your concept plan to assistance applying for stormwater credits, we are here to help you succeed.

If you have any questions about this program, please contact the PWD Stormwater Grants team at:

(215) 685-6070
pwd.stormwatercredits@phila.gov

Email Updates

Sign up for the Stormwater Grants Program bulletin to get important notices about program changes, deadlines, application guidance and related updates.

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