June 23, 2025

New Playground will Absorb 750,000 Gallons of Stormwater Annually, Helping to Reduce Flooding and Polluted Overflows into the East River and New York Harbor; Photos Available on DEP’s Flickr Page

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today joined with the Trust for Public Land (TPL), staff, students, and others to celebrate the opening of the newly renovated green infrastructure playground at 92M Mary McLeod Bethune School/St. HOPE Leadership Academy Charter School/Democracy Prep Charter High School in Harlem. The new schoolyard replaces a formerly asphalt playground with new green infrastructure and will absorb 750,000 gallons of stormwater annually. This will help combat flooding in the area and reduce pollution in the East River and New York Harbor.

“Climate change continues to bring more intense rainstorms that can sometimes overwhelm our streets and sewers, so Green Infrastructure playgrounds like this one in Harlem play a crucial role in protecting the city from flooding and improving our local waterways,” 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 site into a vibrant new community space, and all the students who helped design this wonderful new playground.”

DEP reviewed the design of the new playground, which was created by students and staff. It features a synthetic turf field and a running track, new play equipment for children, picnic tables, an outdoor classroom, and raised planting beds. It will also collect more than 750,000 gallons of stormwater each year while reducing heat and contributing to a healthier urban environment.

Since 1996, TPL's NYC Playgrounds Program has helped design and build 235 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 Forest Avenue Campus schoolyard in the Bronx.

DEP’s nation-leading green infrastructure program has constructed nearly 16,000 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.

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 8.3 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. For more information, visit nyc.gov/dep, like us on Facebook, or follow us on X.