Reilly Elementary gets rain-ready

Reilly Elementary School is celebrating its readiness for the rainy season with five new rain gardens and 12 cisterns placed around the campus that will collect thousands of gallons of rainfall each year from roofs and parking lots. The project was completed by the Watershed Protection Department and will be used as a demo site to educate the community about the city’s Rain Catcher Pilot Program. As the news release explains, “Catching and slowly releasing stormwater will reduce the erosion and flooding problems on the property and improve the water quality and flow in the nearby Waller Creek. The rain gardens accommodate a variety of landscape conditions, and the different designs showcase that rain gardens can serve as turf lawns for recreation, habitats for wildlife or traditional gardens.” The project took first place in the National Association of Flood & Stormwater Management Agencies 2020 Green Infrastructure Awards. Watch the virtual ribbon-cutting ceremony here.