No natural resource is more important to community gardeners than water, and identifying and ensuring a dependable source is vital to every garden's success.  Faced with a drought in the summer of 2001 that restricted gardener access to hydrants, GrowNYC and GreenThumb founded the Water Resources Group to promote and fine-tune the idea of water conservation.  To date, GrowNYC's Lenny Librizzi and Lars Chellberg have built or taught people how to build 55 rainwater harvesting systems in community gardens in all 5 boroughs.

Our rainwater harvesting systems collect rain from nearby roofs or shade structures, making water collection convenient for gardeners and reducing demand on the publicwater supply system.  They also help mitigate rainstorm runoff, which can overload storm drains and pollute the waters surrounding the city.

In 2009, GrowNYC staff worked on 16 new RWH systems. Under contract with Green Thumb, we trained Green Apple Corps, City Year, GreenThumb and community volunteers how to build RWH systems. Eleven GreenThumb community gardens in 4 boroughs received systems with a capacity of over 7000 gallons of water storage. New or expanded shade structures that double as rain collectors were built in six of those gardens. We also trained the Bronx River Alliance site crew and community members to install RWH systems on sites in the Bronx River watershed. Five systems with a capacity of almost 1500 gallons of water storage were installed at locations that included a Parks Department building, 2 community organization office buildings, a private residence and a community garden.

In 2006, GrowNYC's rainwater harvesting builders received the Environmental Excellence Award from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.  Their efforts divert over 500,000 gallons of rainwater each year.

Building a RWH system at Joe Holska Garden in Staten Island.

Demonstration of our newly designed treadle pump.