Millbrook High Fall 2026
Millbrook Magnet High School completed another successful Fall program, adding to their already awesome year with Urban Sustainability Solutions! This Fall’s cohort included both a Rain Garden Team and a Cistern Team, giving students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with two of the most effective green stormwater infrastructure practices used to manage runoff and improve water quality.
On the field day, students worked at two residential project sites, each featuring a rain garden in the front yard and a cistern system on the side or rear of the property. These real-world projects allowed students to see how multiple stormwater practices can work together to capture, slow, and reuse rainwater.
The Rain Garden Team focused on completing the installation of the rain gardens. Students filled the gardens with mulch, placed stones for the weirs and around gutter piping that directed runoff into the garden, and installed a variety of plants including daylilies, iris, and other stormwater-friendly species. In addition to their installation work, students explored both neighborhoods and participated in an exercise identifying connected and not connected drainage systems, helping them better understand how runoff moves through residential landscapes and into local waterways.
Meanwhile, the Cistern Team divided into smaller work crews, with each group responsible for a different component of the rainwater harvesting system. Students worked on gutter connections, installed drip irrigation tubing with slow-release emitters, assembled the pump electrical box and Rain Bird irrigation timer system, and prepared the foundations for the tanks. Foundation work included leveling the ground, constructing wooden frame bases, adding gravel, and ensuring each cistern location was properly graded before installation. Once the bases were complete, students helped position the tanks and connect the gutters and overflow piping to complete the systems.
By the end of the program, students had contributed to two fully functional residential stormwater projects while gaining valuable experience in construction, landscaping, site assessment, and water management.
