"You know when you've arrived when people value something enough to steal it," says Chris Crockett, the Philadelphia Water Department's deputy commissioner of environmental services.

In a unique effort to address the city's storm-water runoff problem, improve streets, benefit the community, and create jobs, the Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) has opted for green infrastructure solutions rather than simply digging new tunnels and storage tanks to hold runoff.

The city is relying on a combination of solutions including green roofs, porous paving, storm-water planters, rain gardens, and, of course, the coveted rain barrels. Crockett had hoped to encourage Philadelphia's residents to take a role in keeping their water clean, little expecting the program would be so popular that people would impersonate