A new state-of-the-art playground is designed to capture rainfall, and students at a special needs school had a hand in designing it. NY1's Shannan Ferry filed this report.
A brand new Ridgewood playground may be a huge hit with kids.
"I like the field, I like the slide, I like the equipment, everything I like," said one student.
But it also gets a green thumbs up from mother nature.
Specially designed surfaces will capture 375,000 gallons of storm water each year.
"Sometimes when we have really, really heavy rains, the wastewater treatment plants they're at capacity and can't handle the rainwater and the sanitary waste that goes into them," said Eric Landau, who is the Deputy Commissioner of Public Affairs & Communications a the Department of Environmental Protection.
That means excess storm runoff can lead to polluted water in rivers and bays.
A new turf field, garden, and permeable paving are all designed to absorb rainfall.
"The water, instead of going into the city sewer system and Newtown Creek, it stays on site and waters the trees and the flowers that we've planted here," said Mary Alice Lee, who is the Director of NYC Playgrounds Program at The Trust for Public Land.
The new green infrastructure playground is for special needs students at P.S. 75.
The school teamed up with the city and non-profit The Trust for Public Land to build it.
On Tuesday students, teachers, and officials celebrated the project's completion. The space used to be an asphalt lot.
"Playing on the playground is fun, it's supposed to be fun, because it's named a playground," said another student.
Students also took part in the design process for the project. This outdoor chalkboard allows them to have class in their very own garden.
"For eight weeks they were able to work, they worked with the architects, they had their own designs, they drew, they measured," said James Thorbs, who is the Principal at P.S. 75.
"The turf field is great, the turf field was my idea actually," said another student.
The city says the playground will also be open to the public during weekends, holidays and school vacations.