Strike A Chord: Conserve Energy By Collecting Rain

New York City's water plants process more than 1.4 billion gallons of water a day. As part of WFUV's Strike A Chord series on conservation, one organization has shared how its working to shrink that number.

 

All of the water that goes into New York City's sewers has to be processed. But heavy rainfall can overwhelm a combined sewer system, sending untreated storm water into lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water. Lars

Chellburg from GrowNYC has built more than 100 systems to catch rainwater to help solve the problem. How does it work? 

 

"You're catching water from  a roof surface, down a gutter, into a tank," Chellburg said. 

 

That water then helps to nourish nearby gardens. Chellburg said some tanks can be as small as 50 gallons or as large as two thousand gallons, depending on the size of the roof. Other systems, like the one on Governor's Island off Manhattan, uses green infrastructure known as bioswales to decrease storm water runoff. 

 

"After a large rain, water can be standing 8 to 10 inches along the roadway for a couple of hours. The swale will absorbs all that water within a 24 hour period," he said. 

 

Every day New Yorkers can also do their part. Mikelle Adgate with the Department of Environmental Protection said the agency gives out simple systems so people can catch rainwater on their own properties and use it for tasks around the house. 

 

"Watering the lawn or washing the car, that's great for water conservation and helps them save money on their water bill," Atgate said. 

 

It also helps with energy conservation. Because the less water a municipality has to treat and pump to your house. The less energy it uses.