Reshaping the Benton Brook Stream Corridor: Ecological Uplift Opportunities in the Heart of Northeast Philadelphia
Aidan Suiter, PE
RK&K
Wilmington, DE
Kevin Malley, PE, CFM
Philadelphia Water Department
Philadelphia, PA
Authors: Malley, K., Suiter, A.
The restoration of Benton Brook, a tributary to Pennypack Creek in Northeast Philadelphia’s Rhawnhurst neighborhood, provided the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) with the opportunity to protect critical assets while promoting stability and ecological uplift in a high energy stream corridor. Several factors, including the flashy hydrology of the highly urbanized watershed and the encroachment of development into the historic stream valley, have combined to result in decades of channel instability and degradation leaving the sanitary sewer infrastructure along the stream particularly vulnerable.
Due to the entirety of the upstream watershed being confined to a closed storm drain, the site conditions vary between negligible baseflow and flashy, high energy storm flows which created additional challenges. The proposed restoration design resulted in the realignment and relocation of approximately 650 linear feet of sanitary sewer, extensive excavation to create a wider restored floodplain, and the removal of over 135 trees which necessitated close coordination with other stakeholders including PWD Collector Systems Unit and the landowner, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation (PPR). The incorporation of woody debris harvested on site and microtopography across the restored floodplain, coupled with a planting plan full of native vegetation, will result in robust ecological uplift across the project site.
Construction on the site began in August 2025 and is expected to be completed in early 2027.
Our presentation will focus on three key areas:
The design decisions made to promote stream and infrastructure stability and ecological uplift in a heavily urbanized and confined stream corridor,
Internal stakeholder involvement and achieving buy-in to support a more holistic restoration approach, and
The challenges faced while solicitating bids for the project (initially advertised as best value bid and then re-advertised as low bid).
About Aidan Suiter, PE
Aidan Suiter is a Project Engineer with RK&K with 10 years of experience providing water resources solutions for clients across the public, private, and non-profit sectors. He holds a B.S. in Biological Systems Engineering with a minor in Watershed Management from Virginia Tech and is a licensed professional engineer in Delaware, Virginia, and Kentucky. Aidan's work is primarily focused in hydraulic modeling (both 1D and 2D), floodplain management, and stream restoration within the Chesapeake Bay and Delaware River watersheds.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/suiteraidan/
About Kevin Malley, PE, CFM
Kevin Malley is an Engineering Supervisor in the Ecological Restoration and MS4 Design group of the Philadelphia Water Department's Green Stormwater and Stream Design (GSSD) Unit. In this role, he manages the design and construction of projects focusing on riparian asset protection, stream restoration, and ecological restoration. These projects protect critical PWD infrastructure, assist in regulatory compliance, and improve the City's water resources. Kevin uses his seven years of experience in water main and sewer design to manage multifaceted projects outside of the standard city right-of-way.
Kevin is a licensed Professional Engineer in Pennsylvania. He graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Temple University in 2017 and a Masters in Water Resources and Environmental Engineering from Villanova University in 2021.