June 21, 2019

Green Infrastructure Absorbs Stormwater and Improves the Health of the East River

Photos Can Be Found on DEP’s Flickr Page

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) joined Wednesday with NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver, Council Member Rafael Salamanca, members of Bronx Community Board 2, students and staff from P.S. 48, and community residents to cut the ribbon on the Hunts Point “Green” Playground, a Community Parks Initiative site. The project was funded by $2.6 million from Mayor Bill de Blasio and a $730,000 allocation from DEP for green infrastructure that will help to reduce flooding and improve the health of the East River.

To manage stormwater runoff, green infrastructure including rain gardens, permeable pavement, and a subsurface retention system were added throughout the Hunts Point Playground, which will help to capture approximately 2.3 million gallons of stormwater each year. DEP has committed approximately $50 million in funding for green infrastructure installations at CPI sites throughout the city, helping to reduce sewer overflows that sometimes occur during heavy rainfall, improve air quality, and lower summertime temperatures.

“This revitalized playground is not only a wonderful community space, but its new green infrastructure will play an important role in managing stormwater to reduce flooding and improve the health of the East River,” said DEP Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “We thank Commissioner Silver and his team at NYC Parks for being such terrific partners in our efforts to make New York City a greener, more resilient place to call home.”

“At NYC Parks, our goal is to create thriving parks for our communities, and we know the upgraded Hunts Point Playground will continue be a beloved community hub in the future,” said NYC Parks Commissioner Mitchell J. Silver. “Thanks to the Community Parks Initiative, this newly transformed park will be improve the quality of life for the Hunts Point community.”

The newly transformed Hunts Point Playground features a renovated comfort station, and new play equipment, safety surfacing, a spray shower, fencing, new seating areas, and landscaping.

Launched by Mayor de Blasio in October 2014, CPI strives to make NYC Parks a more equitable and accessible parks system by investing in smaller parks that are located in New York City’s densely populated neighborhoods with higher-than-average concentrations of poverty. Through CPI, the City is investing $318 million in capital dollars to make renovations to 67 parks citywide that have not undergone significant improvements in decades.

Hunts Point Playground, located in the neighborhood of the same name in the southwest Bronx, is named for Thomas Hunt, one of the first settlers to occupy the area in the 1670s. One can easily observe the point, protruding out into the East River, on any map of the Bronx. In 1874, New York City, which at the time included only Manhattan, began to annex sections of the Bronx. Hunts Point, originally part of West Farms in what was then lower Westchester County, became the newest part of New York City. The area underwent significant growth and development after the IRT subway line to Manhattan was built in 1904. Hunts Point is famous for the Hunts Point Terminal Market, the largest produce market in the United States.

DEP manages New York City’s water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water each day to more than 9 million residents, including 8.6 million in New York City. The water is delivered from a watershed that extends more than 125 miles from the city, comprising 19 reservoirs and three controlled lakes. Approximately 7,000 miles of water mains, tunnels and aqueducts bring water to homes and businesses throughout the five boroughs, and 7,500 miles of sewer lines and 96 pump stations take wastewater to 14 in-city treatment plants. DEP has nearly 6,000 employees, including almost 1,000 in the upstate watershed. In addition, DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $20.1 billion in investments over the next 10 years that will create up to 3,000 construction-related jobs per year. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter.