Get your minds in the gutter, New York. Upper Green Side points out the problem of waste water and storm runoff in our surrounding waterways, noting that our "century old sewer system combines the rainwater that runs off paved surfaces such as roadways and sidewalks with the same pipes that carry our sewage." And when our treatment plants get overloaded, the excess spills from the pipes into our waterways. According to Solar One, this happens regularly year-round, and "negatively impacts the water quality of our harbor, compromises ecosystems, and limits healthy human use of the estuary."
The New York City Environmental Fund, Storm Water Infrastructure Matters (S.W.I.M.), and the The North Brooklyn Compost Project are determined to find a solution, asking "How do we utilize the existing 6K miles of roadway and accompanying 12K miles of sidewalk as an opportunity for stormwater management?" They're calling for designs, and you've got until February 15th to come up with a solution.
