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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

Find a stormwater management vendor Vendor List

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.

Stormwater Incentives Program Updates

New Guidance

Stormwater Incentives has officially included Stormwater Retrofit guidance into the Stormwater Management Guidance Manual (v3.2) on October 1st, 2020. Please refer to this manual for submission, technical, construction, and post-construction 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.

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.

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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