Stormwater Best Management Practices and Low Impact Development

Grant Program

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is soliciting stormwater best management practice (BMP) and low impact development (LID) proposals for the Gowanus Canal and Flushing Bay watersheds.

DEP will award several grants to projects that help to remove stormwater from the combined sewer system and treat urban stormwater runoff prior to being discharged into local waterways. Examples of methods of achieving this include the following:

• Improving stormwater runoff quality by directly removing pollutants.
• Improving stormwater quality through soil or other media
• Increasing retention time to allow for greater soil infiltration
• Improving or adding retention capacity
• Improving or adding detention capacity
• Reducing Combined Sewer Overflow volumes and floatable debris from stormwater runoff.

A total of $2,900,000 will be available for potential projects. DEP plans to award $1,450,000 for projects within the Gowanus Canal watershed and $1,450,000 within the Flushing Bay watershed. The breakdown of grant awards is expected to be:

• Up to five $20,000 grants for each watershed and
• Up to three $450,000 grants for each watershed.

While the work must be completed within these watersheds, individuals, community and environmental groups, universities and other organizations that are not based in the Gowanus or Flushing watersheds are still encouraged to apply.