According to the New York Times, a rain garden is a “shallow, plant-filled depressions, carefully placed, by collecting rain that runs off impervious surfaces, like roofs, driveways and parking lots.”
This allows water to drain into a basin that will not contaminate our drinking water. According to the EPA, the benefits of a rain garden are:
-
Vegetation and soil use physical and biological processes to remove contaminants carried by stormwater runoff.
-
“Helps mimic natural drainage processes and reduces the volume of stormwater runoff.
-
Reduces stream bank erosion and negative effects on aquatic communities.
-
Improve the aesthetics of an area compared to conventional infrastructure.”
References: http://www.epa.gov/oaintrnt/stormwater/edison_rain_garden.htm
NY Times
