Bucharest is building three large rainwater retention basins in parts of the city most vulnerable to flooding during heavy rainfall. The retained water would be used to irrigate parks and trees, as part of the Romanian capital’s ambition to become a “sponge city,” the city administration said on Facebook.
The project aims to tackle the problem of excessive amounts of water entering the city’s sewer system, which was not designed to handle such large flows, according to the announcement.
The rainwater collected in the retention basins can be used for irrigation and directed where it is needed – to tree roots, parks, and flowerbeds, the authorities added.
A sponge city retains and reuses rainwater instead of draining it away
As Bucharest has long periods of drought with short episodes of heavy rainfall, the concept of a sponge city, involving good water management at the city level, could be a solution, they stressed.
A sponge city is an urban planning model focused on retaining and reusing stormwater rather than treating it as waste and channeling it into the sewer network.
The project in Bucharest requires considerable funding, but the authorities expect to ensure financial support, including from European Union funds.
One basin has already been built
One of the three planned underground basins, with a capacity of 2,000 cubic meters, has already been completed, and construction has begun on the second facility, which will hold 4,200 cubic meters of rainwater. It is expected to be completed within two years.
The third basin is planned to be built beneath a parking lot, and work on a feasibility study is underway.
In addition to these three facilities, the authorities are also exploring the possibility of building two more large retention basins beneath two parks, the announcement reads.
