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Sponge Park is a $1.5 million pilot project that will determine whether such spaces can effectively prevent new pollution from entering the canal. “In the vast majority of storms, the park would capture all of the water flowing to a dead end at the canal,” said Susannah Drake. During the heaviest rainfall, the park will at least cleanse and filter water before it flows into the canal.”

The effects of the work are spreading throughout Gary, Indiana’s neighborhoods. “They’re sprucing up their own properties,” Brenda Scott-Henry said. “One guy said he’s going to put up a white picket fence, have a barbecue and invite his family over to look at the site. We have neighbors taking care of three, four, five lawns on a block just to keep it looking good.”

President Xi Jinping has been quick to back the idea of “sponge cities”. The Chinese central government pledged to provide billions in financial assistance over the next three years to implement green infrastructure so that the urban landscape in 16 cities will function as urban sponges.

“The program came about through a fortunate confluence of personalities, interests and skills – it is not something that a community can necessarily just decide to do, and presto, it happens. Remove any one of the individuals or organizations who played roles in the process, and North Delta’s school and community rain gardens either would not have happened at all, or would have been much less successful,” stated Deborah Jones.

The Stormwater Pioneers program showcases innovation and a true dedication by property owners and others to decrease pollution. “We’re hoping to keep trash, debris and other pollution out of the water supply so that everyone can enjoy a clean Schuylkill River. If we can play a small part in making the environment better for the next generation, that’s a major plus for us,” stated Joe Jaconski.

“When much of California is facing drought and limited water supplies, capturing and reusing every drop of water will not only be clever, but crucial. By moving water away from the people and places that need it, stormwater cannot percolate into the ground and replenish water we keep drilling deeper and deeper to reach. Californians can counteract the negative impacts of stormwater runoff by promoting water infiltration,” wrote Paula Luu.

“It is becoming increasingly apparent that conventional stormwater drainage systems are ill prepared to deal with increasing rain events and a drastically changed land surface. The questions that needs to be asked is how can we deal with this new reality and how do we change the traditional stormwater management system to cope with more frequent and higher flood events?”, wrote Dr. Hans Schreier.

“A Northeast Ohio Media Group series last month highlighted and explored ‘green infrastructure’ as a potentially cheaper alternative to the tunnels cities traditionally have built to hold the sewage during storms until it can be pumped into treatment plants,” wrote Andrew Tobias.

“The video series features what leaders in innovative stormwater management are doing in the Metro Vancouver region,” explains Hans Schreier, UBC Professor Emeritus. “Our interactive map shows all of our featured locations, and this is just drop in the bucket in terms of what is out there!”

“Many stormwater problems are the result of excessive runoff from hard, impervious surfaces. Anyone can visit the Green Up DC site to look at their own property and find out how to reduce stormwater,” said Jenny Guillaume.