An underground reservoir for collecting and temporarily holding rainwater has been completed on Matzuba Street in south Tel Aviv after about two years of work. It was designed to reduce pressure on the drainage network and lower the risk of deep puddles and surface flooding on Matzuba and nearby streets during heavy rain.
The concrete reservoir holds about 1,000 cubic meters and covers roughly 600 square meters. The project cost approximately NIS 12 million. Four inlet pipes carry runoff into the chamber at the height of a storm, and the water is released gradually into the drainage system, the Ayalon channel and then the sea once the load drops.
The system operates by gravity and does not use pumps. Sensors track the water level and how quickly it rises, sending real-time data to the municipal control room.
A public garden with lawns, pergolas and new plantings has been completed above the reservoir. The project also included changes to traffic lanes around Matzuba Street.
