The Prince George's County Blueprint: Greening Waterways, Growing Fortunes

LARGO, MD – July 16, 2026 – For decades, the story of municipal infrastructure has been a familiar one: aging systems, tight budgets, and the Sisyphean task of meeting federal environmental mandates. But in Prince George's County, a different narrative is flowing. A new study from the Harvard Extension School confirms that the county’s ambitious Clean Water Partnership (CWP) is succeeding where many have stumbled, creating a powerful model that fuses environmental restoration with profound economic and social uplift.

Since its inception in 2015, the CWP—a 30-year public-private partnership between the county and Corvias Infrastructure Solutions (CIS)—has been quietly transforming the landscape. The Harvard study, led by Julian Arroyo, puts hard numbers to this transformation: nearly 5,000 acres of impervious surfaces restored, 428 stormwater projects completed, and crucial compliance with the EPA’s stringent stormwater regulations achieved. But the data reveals a deeper story. This isn't just about pipes and retention ponds; it's about reimagining the very purpose of public investment.

A New Model for Public Works

At its core, the CWP represents a fundamental departure from the traditional, siloed approach to public works. Historically, a city or county would separately finance, plan, design, and bid out construction for infrastructure projects, often leading to fragmented efforts and spiraling costs. The CWP, by contrast, is an integrated system. It bundles planning, financing, design, construction, and—critically—long-term maintenance into a single, performance-based contract.

This P3 model was born out of necessity. A decade ago, Prince George's County faced significant challenges in meeting its obligations under the Clean Water Act to reduce polluted runoff into local streams and the Chesapeake Bay. The traditional path was proving too slow and costly. The partnership with CIS offered a different way forward: a long-term, holistic solution that transferred much of the execution risk to the private partner while locking in predictable costs for the county.

"The Clean Water Partnership demonstrates that infrastructure investment can do more than improve the environment—it can also strengthen local businesses, create jobs, and build long-term community capacity," said Roland Jones, Managing Director at CIS. The Harvard study validates this vision, concluding that this integrated approach provides a scalable and replicable model for communities nationwide looking to achieve more than just regulatory compliance.

Weaving Economic Equity into Environmental Action

The most compelling aspect of the CWP is its deliberate fusion of environmental goals with economic inclusion. The partnership was designed not just to treat stormwater, but to treat the local economy as a key stakeholder. The results are striking. According to the Harvard findings, over 77% of procurement spending—a staggering $270 million—has been awarded to minority-owned and county-based businesses. Furthermore, more than half of all labor hours on these complex projects have been performed by Prince George's County residents.

This outcome was not accidental; it was engineered. A central pillar of the program is the Mentor-Protégé Program, which has nurtured 84 small, local, and minority-owned businesses. It goes beyond simple subcontracting, providing coaching, training, and assistance with bonding and capital access—common barriers that prevent smaller firms from competing for large public contracts. The program has already generated approximately $60 million in competitive contract awards for these participating firms.

"Before this, getting a foothold in major county projects was nearly impossible," one owner of a local engineering firm that graduated from the program shared. "The payment cycles were too long for a small business to survive. The CWP changed the game. They paid us promptly, which gave us the working capital to bid on bigger jobs and actually grow. We’ve doubled our staff, all local hires." This innovative approach to cash flow management, where CIS pays subcontractors ahead of being reimbursed by the county, is a small but revolutionary detail that unlocks the potential of the local business ecosystem.

From Concrete Channels to Living Classrooms

The physical impact of the CWP is visible across the county. What were once acres of impermeable asphalt parking lots and rooftops—surfaces that accelerate polluted runoff into waterways—are now being retrofitted with green infrastructure. The 428 completed projects include bioretention cells, permeable pavements, and green roofs that capture and filter rainwater where it falls, mimicking natural hydrology. These nature-based solutions not only improve water quality and reduce flood risk but also beautify neighborhoods and increase green space.

But the partnership's definition of 'community value' extends beyond environmental metrics. The 'Treat & Teach' program, a collaboration with Prince George's County Public Schools, exemplifies this ethos. While not formally part of the Harvard study, it is a vital component of the CWP's mission. The program has transformed dozens of school campuses into living laboratories, installing over 60 stormwater management practices and creating nearly 40 outdoor learning spaces. Students now have hands-on opportunities to learn about environmental science and stewardship, connecting them directly to the infrastructure that protects their own communities.

This holistic view—where a stormwater drain can also be an educational tool and a job-creation engine—is the partnership's defining feature. "The results demonstrate what is possible when government and the private sector work together with a shared commitment to environmental stewardship and community investment," noted Sri Vedachalam, Ph.D., Managing Director at CIS. The Harvard study echoes this, highlighting how the CWP uniquely combines environmental restoration, workforce development, and supplier diversity within a single, cohesive framework.

As municipalities across the nation grapple with the twin crises of climate change and economic inequality, the Prince George's County model offers a tested blueprint. The study recommends strengthening long-term tracking of business growth and creating more pathways for small contractors, ensuring the ripple effects continue to expand. It proves that with the right structure, investing in clean water can yield a powerful return, creating waves of opportunity that lift an entire community.