My trip to battery park city this time, was different than the many other times I’ve been there. It’s pretty weird that I’ve been there so many times and I’ve never known about the many different integrated water systems there. Maybe they need to publicize it more for more New Yorkers to know.
Anyway, my first stop was the Solaire Building. I found that the Solaire building is one of the few buildings in the city that tries to provide a solution to CSOs there. The building is landscaped for water conservation. The building is importantly known for its rainwater collection and graywater reuse. The bathrooms in the solaire have low-flow and dual- flush toilets. The building also uses solar panels, providing a sustainable power source to the residents who live there. The solaire is a prime example of what buildings in NYC should be like in order for us to be able to conserve more water during this time.
My next stop was walking around the solaire building, in which I noticed that there are many parks which incorporate lots of green infrastructure to the area. The green infrastructure reduces stormwater runoff which contributes to the area’s solution of solving the issue of CSOs.
Next I went to the 9/11 memorial fountain and the balloon flower. This memorial has the ability to use rainwater and grey water instead of clean water to attract tourists to the area. this could help further reduce runoff. The balloon flower is a great way to use art in order to help limit runoff in NYC. Using small fountains and drains that may use rainwater or grey water may limit the amount of runoff in NYC.
Overall, this trip provided me with more knowledge of integrated water systems in NYC. Maybe, if more areas implemented these ideas, we would be more sustainable and be able to conserve more water.
So much to learn about Battery Park City's water systems. Let's spread this to more of NYC!@j_cherrier @GabiCohen6 #bcsfh2o pic.twitter.com/5sqnJXzbuc
— SylviaMCHC (@SylviaMCHC) November 21, 2017
