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The innovative furniture installed in Arroios, Lisbon, allows the collection of about 4 thousand liters of water, which will be used in periods of drought.
Arroios parish council, in Lisbon, installed hydric urban furniture that allows rainwater collection, later stored and used to water green spaces or wash streets in times of drought. In total, twelve pieces – ten benches and two mushrooms – were implemented in various points of the territory, with the capacity to collect 3900 liters of water.
The innovative furniture was born thanks to the idea of Rui Vilela (councillor for Public Space – Maintenance and Conservation, Mobility, Projects, Green Spaces, and Environment) and the execution of the national company Polinnovate.
The benches have three seats, a thin groove in the top (where water enters) and the capacity to store about 250 liters of water – in other words, the bench works
as the water reservoir itself. “This water can be poured through its own equipment into a transition tank and then into the two
reservoirs that we have, of 21 thousand liters each, where the final storage of rainwater will be done, which we will be able to use in the summer, in periods of drought or for any other necessity”, says Rui Vilela, in declarations to “Diário de Notícias”.
Mushrooms, on the other hand, have the shape of a cylinder and a kind of inverted umbrella at the top, whose inclination allows rainwater to be collected and channeled
into the mushroom. Each piece can store about 650 liters.
The benches and mushrooms will also function as billboards, with messages
allusive to good water saving practices and a QR Code that directs to a page with the evolution of the Green Arroios program, of which the initiative is a part.
The equipments were inaugurated last February 16th and are located in Jardim Constantino, Jardim Henrique Lopes de Mendonça, Mercado 31 de Janeiro, Campo dos Mártires da Pátria, Largo do Intendente, and Largo do Leão.
“We felt that there was a lack of green spaces and that there were some gaps in public spaces. That is why the possibility arose of having this innovative water project, which will contribute to the sustainability of the environment,” Madalena Natividade, president of the Arroios Parish Council, told “Diário de Notícias”.
Arroios Green Program
Arroios Green program, which has an investment of about 100 thousand euros until the end of the year, began this month with the planting of flowers in Jardim António Feijó, including grasses, with the aim of replacing the existing grass and consuming less water. More interventions are planned throughout the year, namely:
– Installation of 10 vertical gardens at various points in the parish, including
retaining walls, bare walls, or unevenness between streets;
– Replanting of new species at Monte Agudo, an area eroded by fires, and the creation of a dog park, a sports area, and an esplanade on the site;
– Installation of green roofs on some buildings;
– Launch of pilot projects to plant grasses (to save water);
– Planting trees in the garden areas;
– Placement of 52 itinerant and removable trees on corners, intersections, sidewalks, in order to provide shade.
She could have studied Meteorology and Oceanography but ended up going for Communication. And that's fine because if they don't get their weather predictions right, she wasn't the one who would change that. She started by looking for sustainable ideas and projects for her university, and since then, she has never stopped (who stops, really?). She loves to watch series, but she watches few because she is demanding. You don't need much to convince her to embrace new, "greener" habits and challenges.
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