Mt Airy, Philadelphia

Tookany – Tacony Creek Stormwater Trash Pollution Update

Posted on May 15, 2013 | Leave a comment

The may 15, 2013 update on the Tookany – Tacony Creek stormwater trash pollution problem is available as a pdf file Update_5_16_13.

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Posted in General

Tagged Green City Clean Waters, Philadelphia litter, Philadelphia watersheds, stream trash, Tacony Creek Park, TTF Watershed

Philadelphia and Cheltenham Litter is Polluting Upper Rock Creek

Posted on May 9, 2013 | Leave a comment

Philadelphia and Cheltenham litter is flowing through storm sewers and overland to Rock Creek where it builds up in trash piles on tree branches or along the Creek banks.

Rock_Creek_Litter_Pollution_small

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Posted in General

Philadelphia Creek Trash Assessment Methodology

Posted on May 9, 2013 | Leave a comment

There are a number of techniques for analyzing various aspects of urban creek trash problems, however, the author has not found a systematic, reproducible methodology for comprehensively investigating the sources and severity of creek trash problems.

This paper applies a 3 step Philadelphia Creek Trash Assessment process to the Mill Run Creek trash situation to demonstrate an analysis approach that could be applied to Philadelphia area creeks to establish the extent and potential sources of creek trash.

The Mill Run Creek offers an excellent location to develop and test creek trash assessment techniques because it only has one type of source, stormwater outfalls. Since PWD’s T-088-01 outfall makes up the entire “upstream flow” for the Creek, we do not need to worry about other upstream sources. Inspection of the area around the Creek shows that there is minimal potential overland flow of litter/ trash and illegal dumping.

Here is the pdf link. MRC_Assess_contributions

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Posted in General, Green City Clean Water, Litter, Philadelphia Litter, Tacony Creek, Tookany Creek

Tagged Green City Clean Waters, Philadelphia Water Department, Philadelphia watersheds, stream trash, Tacony Creek Park, Tookany Creek, TTF Watershed

Potential Role of PWD Outfalls in Tookany – Tacony Creek Trash Problem

Posted on May 9, 2013 | Leave a comment

Have you ever wondered why the Wissahickon Creek is so clan and the Tacony Creek is so dirty?

After conducting numerous field surveys, I’m beginning to understand the Tookany – Tacony Creek trash situation. I’ve found 10 Philadelphia Water Department stormwater outfalls with evidence of trash in the outfall channel or immediately downstream of the outfall, making hte outfall a suspect for trash discharge to the Tookany – Tacony Creek.

This pdf documents my concerns about the discharge of floatable trash from PWD outfalls: Potential_role_of_10_outfalls

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Posted in General

Tagged Green City Clean Waters, Philadelphia litter, Philadelphia watersheds, Tacony Creek Park, Tookany Creek, TTF Watershed

10 PWD Outfalls That Discharge Trash to Tookany – Tacony Creek

Posted on May 8, 2013 | Leave a comment

There are approximately 300 outfalls that discharge stormwater to the Tookany – Tacony – Frankford Creeks. Litter from streets, parking lots and illegal dumps is carried to the Creeks by run-off during/ after rain storms.

This slide shows takes you on a tour of 10 Philadelphia Water Department stormwater outfalls that carry Philadelphia litter to the Creeks.

Map of Creek and 10 PWD outfalls with trash

: PWD Outfall near Adams Ave

: Trash Below PWD Outfall T-05

: Map of PWD Outfalls T-08, T-09, T-10

: PWD Outfall T-08 and Downstream Trash

: Trash Below PWD Outfalls T-09 & T-10: Note Roosevelt Blvd Bridge

: Map of PWD Outfall T-088-01

: Trash Below PWD Outfall T-088-01

: Map of PWD Outfall T-097-01

: Trash Below PWD Outfall T-097-01

: Map of PWD Outfall T-01

: Trash Below PWD Outfall T-01

: Map of PWD Outfall T-03

: Trash Below PWD Outfall T-03

: Map of PWD Outfall T-05

: Map of PWD Outfall T-080-03

: Trash & Sewage Below PWD Outfall T-080-02

: Trash & Sewage Below PWD Outfall T-080-02

: Trash & Sewage Below PWD Outfall T-080-02

: Map of PWD Outfall T-080-03

: Trash Below PWD outfall T-080-03

: Trash Below PWD outfall T-080-03

: Map of Creek and PWD outfalls

A pdf file of this slideshow is available here.

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Posted in General, Green City Clean Water, Litter, Philadelphia Litter, Stormwater

Tagged Green City Clean Waters, Philadelphia litter, Philadelphia watersheds, Tacony Creek Park, TTF Watershed

Tookany – Tacony Creek Stormwater Trash Pollution Update

Posted on April 14, 2013 | Leave a comment

The Tookany – Tacony Creek has a serious stormwater trash pollution problem. This update highlights several findings on the sources and extent of the problem.

Where – shows several Tookany – Tacony Creek stormwater trash pollution sites
Sources – shows role of both separate and combined sewer outfalls as well as overland flow discharges on Tookany – Tacony Creek trash pollution
Rating Creek Trash Conditions – applies Rapid Trash Assessment (RTA) score to Mill Run Creek to show how this technique works
Channel Roughness – shows how channel conditions affect creek trash buildup rate
Types of creek trash – shows how floatable trash (plastic bottles) and neutral buoyancy trash (plastic bags, wrappers) behave differently in the Creek
Shows how neutral buoyancy material may be passing through PWD’s trapped inlets

The most recent Tookany – Tacony Creek stormwater trash pollution update is available as a YouTube video below. (To Enlarge video to full screen – click right icon, menu bar at bottom of YouTube window)