GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE RETROFIT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY: STORMWATER WETLAND

eDesign Dynamics worked with the New York City Soil and Water Conservation District to transform an underutilized parcel of open space in West Harlem into a stormwater treatment wetland.

The wetland is designed to retain and infiltrate rainwater from the roof of the adjacent apartment building. Before the project was completed, rainwater led from the roof to a downspout and drained into the City’s combined sewer system. With the wetland in place, water is diverted from the City’s combined sewer system through a series of rain barrels before entering into the wetland basin. To prevent flooding, the system is designed to be bypassed when the wetland basin is full. In addition to managing stormwater, the wetland basin and surrounding upland is planted with native freshwater wetland plantings, providing habitat for numerous birds and insects.