Rain Garden & Urban Swales

Rain gardens and urban swales are engineered gardens designed to harness the natural ability of vegetation and soils to treat stormwater. An urban swale is a constructed drainage course suitable for constrained environments with vegetation and riprap incorporated. They help absorb high volumes of stormwater, reducing the effects of stormwater volumes, peak flow, treatment of pollutants/contaminants while recharging freshwater bodies and adding amenity to the urban environment. Rain gardens retain stormwater within the specified medium where selected plant species absorb and filter contaminants before being released into groundwater, stormwater discharge pipes, streams, and eventually into the sea.