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‘Sponge park’ slated for Montreal will help absorb rainwater, mitigate flash floods

A new “sponge park” designed to absorb rain water is to be built in Montreal.

The park is to be built in Verdun on a long grass strip between a bicycle lane and the Atwater filtration plant. The park will allow rainwater to pass naturally into the ground and be absorbed into the water table.

The project will allow the city to ease the burden on its underground water infrastructure network to mitigate flash flooding during heavy rain storms.

The park is to be the first of 30 the city plans to build over the next two years. The cost of the project is $16 million, but is a cheaper option than rebuilding the underground water infrastructure.

Several such parks exist in China and reportedly work well.