To Combat Flooding, NYC Department of Environmental Protection Joins Trust for Public Land to Open New Green Infrastructure Playground in Maspeth

October 1, 2024

New Playground will Absorb 720,000 Gallons of Stormwater Annually, Helping to Reduce Flooding, Backups into Homes and Businesses, and Polluted Overflows into the East River and New York Harbor; Photos Available Here

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today joined with the Trust for Public Land (TPL), Council Member Robert Holden, staff, students, and others to celebrate the opening of the newly renovated Green Infrastructure playground at P.S. 229Q Emanuel Kaplan in Maspeth, Queens. By replacing the formerly asphalt playground with new green infrastructure, the new schoolyard will absorb 720,000 gallons of stormwater annually, helping to combat flooding in the area and reduce pollution in the East River and New York Harbor.

"Extreme weather caused by climate change continues to bring more intense rainstorms that can sometimes overwhelm our sewers, so Green Infrastructure playgrounds like the one at P.S. 229Q play a crucial role in combatting flooding and reducing pollution," said New York City Chief Climate Officer and Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Rohit T. Aggarwala. "I'd like to thank our partners at The Trust for Public Land for their hard work in transforming this space, Council Member Holden for his support, and all the students who helped design this wonderful new playground."

DEP provided $1 million in funding for the new playground, which was designed by students and staff. It features play equipment, a track, a basketball court, a volleyball court, picnic tables, an outdoor classroom, and green infrastructure that will capture 720,000 gallons of stormwater annually. This will ease pressure on the area's sewer system, reduce flooding, and help improve the health of the East River and New York Harbor. The schoolyard will be accessible to both the school and wider community after school hours and on the weekends.

Since 1996, TPL's NYC Playgrounds Program has helped design and build 231 school and community playgrounds across the five boroughs. With urgency, TPL is leading the movement to transform asphalt school grounds into vital green infrastructure through advocacy, policy change, research, resource sharing and by creating and evaluating important projects like the P.S. 229Q schoolyard in Maspeth.

DEP's nation-leading green infrastructure program has constructed nearly 14,000 green infrastructure installations including curbside rain gardens, green roofs, subsurface detention, permeable pavers and green medians. All of these green installations intercept stormwater before it can drain into the sewer system, thereby creating additional capacity in the sewers, which helps to reduce flooding and any overflows into local waterways. Over the last 10 years DEP has invested $5.7 billion to upgrade all drainage systems, including sewers, across the city and is planning to invest more than $10 billion for similar upgrades over the next decade.

About Trust for Public Land

Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,420 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $94 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.7 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.

About the NYC Department of Environmental Protection

DEP manages New York City's water supply, providing approximately 1 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water each day to nearly 10 million residents, including 8.5 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 also protects the health and safety of New Yorkers by enforcing the Air and Noise Codes and asbestos rules. DEP has a robust capital program, with a planned $29 billion in investments over the next 10 years. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on X, formerly known as Twitter.

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