The New York City Department of Environmental Protection proposed last month to create a series of infrastructure installations that would transform portions of the five boroughs into super sponges. The Cloudburst Management plan will turn available outdoor public surfaces and subsurfaces into layers that can absorb, capture, or divert precipitation. Using technologies such as porous pavement and collection basins installed below recreational facilities such as playgrounds, it can handle up to 2.3 inches of hourly rainfall, or an extreme storm one might expect to occur once every 10 years.
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