Stormwater treatment and management had only one simple goal three decades ago – and that is to collect the polluted water and get it out of the site as quickly and efficiently as possible. But to see the abusive nature of this type of stormwater management system one only needs to take a look at the condition of our rivers and streams of today. Our waterways have paid a severe price because of the folly of such stormwater management system. This article provides information on the latest stormwater treatment methods.

During the past decade or so, many programs have been implemented to prevent the environmental degradation that resulted from wrong stormwater management systems. The latest technology in the industry has helped implement environmentally friendly methods of stormwater management. Since the passing of the Clean Water Act, the industry has made great strides in improving the quality of stormwater before releasing it to the environment. The latest stormwater management technologies play a crucial part in treating the polluted water before releasing it to the environment.

Stormwater runoffs from a parking lot could contain various contaminants like sediments, oil, heavy metal, trash, debris, and a host of other pollutants. These contaminants should be removed from the water before releasing it to the environment. There is a wide variety of practices used for the purpose of removing the contaminants from stormwater. Infiltration systems, filters, wetlands, and hydrodynamic structures are some of the most effective methods used in this regard.

Stormwater ponds have become a popular method of removing contaminants from stormwater. A stormwater pond is an engineered structure. The pond is made in accordance with the anticipated storms in the area. It has a controlled release mechanism that discharges water according to the water levels in the pond. The pond usually relies on the water levels and retention times to remove the contaminants from the runoff. But this type of stormwater pond is costly to maintain, and it can cause many other environmental problems over time.

An infiltration system is another effective stormwater management mechanism. It uses the soil on site as a filtering medium. An infiltration system will collect the polluted water and allow it to strain through the soil before releasing into the groundwater. The system depends on the native soil to filter and discharge the water. You should consider the type of soil, slopes, the underlying geology, and hydrology of the site before establishing such a system. Hence, an infiltration system may not be ideal for every site out there.

Stormwater filters are highly effective in removing the contaminants from stormwater. The contaminated water passes through a bed of sand or other suitable mediums in order to remove the pollutants from the water. A sand filter is the most effective type of filter for this purpose. Although filters are excellent at removing the pollutants from stormwater, they are costly to maintain. They are also susceptible to clogging over time.

The aforementioned article provides information on the latest stormwater treatment methods.