SWIM coalition members with Councilman James F. Gennaro (D-Queens), Chairman of the Environmental Protection Committee

Intro 630, which passed this week by the New York City Council, puts the full force of public reporting and target dates into the City's plan for using storm water as an environmental resource to "green" our streets and reduce water pollution. Much of that plan was driven by constituent groups and citizen activists.

Intro 630, once signed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg, will push NYC to capture rainwater as it falls with "green infrastructure" solutions, including green roofs, permeable pavement, wetland restoration, and storage systems for buildings that can use the water before it enters the sewer system.

Many New Yorkers have already shown a commitment to this type of greening, which is endorsed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as a cost-effective tool for reducing urban water pollution, and already being implemented in dozens of cities around the globe, including Chicago, Pittsburgh, Portland, and Seattle in the U.S. The passage of this law shows New York City's commitment to make the water cleaner by making the city greener."