June 1, 2026
The Delaware Riverkeeper Network and Riverways Collaboration are looking for a group of dedicated individuals willing to conduct weekly visual assessments of Combined Sewer Overflow outfalls and recreational conditions in the Philadelphia region.
What are CSOs? A combined sewer system that collects rainwater runoff, domestic sewage, and industrial wastewater into one pipe. Normally, the pipe can transport all of the wastewater to a treatment plant. Sometimes the amount of runoff exceeds the capacity of the piping system. This is typical when it rains or the system becomes overloaded. When that happens, untreated stormwater and wastewater flows into nearby waterbodies, causing what is known as a Combined Sewer Overflow. Nearly every creek, stream and river in the Philadelphia and Camden region are impacted by a combined sewer system.
What are impacts of CSOs? CSOs carry raw sewage, industrial wastewater and pollutants from roads and parking lots. Discharged into our waterways, these flows impair water quality and present risks to the health of those recreating (walking, biking, paddling, etc.) in or around the contaminated waterways.
Why are we collecting this information? Annually, billions of gallons of CSOs flow through neighborhoods, parks, and playgrounds, and discharge into Philadelphia creeks, and the Schuylkill and Delaware Rivers. The sewer systems in Philadelphia and Camden are being updated, but DRN believes the pace of this work must increase. Clean water is a basic right, but it has been taken from communities that bear the burden of CSOs.
Monitoring Details:
- We will be monitoring CSOs in and around the Tookany/Tacony-Frankford Watershed in North Philly. *There may be opportunities for monitoring in other watersheds in Philadelphia. If interested, please contact us.
- The goal is to conduct a visual assessment on your CSOs once a week.
- It will be important to monitor on both rainy and sunny days.
- Monitoring will start in early spring and run through the summer.
- Monitors will be paired in groups of two (required for safety reasons).
- We will have a monitor training session to walk you through your CSO location, discuss monitoring safety, go over the data you will be collecting, and show you how to submit your data.
- A phone with a camera is required for this project.
Ready to become a monitor for a cleaner and healthier environment?
Sign up here: https://givebutter.com/CSOMonitor