The US Patent Office granted a patent to the City of Berkeley for its innovative system for diverting rain water from storm drains.
“By leveraging our extensive network of pavement cracks, rain water replenishes the ground water beneath our streets” explained the city’s Chief Hydrological Engineer K. Rumbling. “Residents will be able to garden directly in potholes. People are already planting tulips in the potholes all over town. Spring will be magical this year!”
Best of all, the catchment system is self-replicating and needs no maintenance. “Cracked pavement is something Berkeley excels at.” noted Rumbling.
“Watching the city crumble all around us has been a priority for my administration,” said recently re-elected Mayor Jesse Arreguìn. “When it comes to infrastructure, everything is going to plan.”
The city plans to license its technology to other cities with failing streets. Patent royalties will be used to fund jackhammer demolition upgrades to streets without sufficient cracking to participate in the program.