💧 H2O INTRO 👤 Meet Neha Ghaisas, Engineer, Green Stormwater and Stream Design Unit, Philadelphia Water Department

Philadelphia has more than 160 miles of streams and creeks flowing through the city, feeding the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. Those waterways are becoming a central part of how the city approaches infrastructure upgrades.

Neha Ghaisas helps lead stream restoration projects that pair critical sewer repairs with natural design strategies. Rather than rebuilding infrastructure and leaving disturbed stream corridors behind, her team restores them so they can better withstand future floods while improving long-term stability.

As projects have grown from small outfall repairs to stream restorations stretching more than 1,000 feet, they have also become more complex—requiring sewer upgrades, ecological restoration, and coordination across multiple teams.

Ghaisas says one of the biggest challenges is moving beyond the traditional gray infrastructure mindset. Success depends not only on engineering, but on clear communication from planning through construction so every partner understands how natural infrastructure strengthens the entire project.

H2O INTRO is sponsored by Human Capital Solutions, Inc., an executive search, recruiting, and leadership advisory firm. Visit https://humancs.com

VIDEO CHAPTERS
00:00 Philadelphia's 160 Miles of Waterways
00:16 Pairing Stream Restoration with Sewer Upgrades
00:46 Rethinking Infrastructure with Natural Design
01:16 The Importance of Communication

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