Assessment of Impact of Filter Design Variables on Clogging in Stormwater Filters

Stormwater filters are widely used in stormwater management, sometimes as standalone structures (e.g. stormwater filter beds), or as part of porous pavements, soak ways, infiltration basins and trenches. Due to the high levels of sediment present in stormwater, clogging is the main operational issue for these systems. A laboratory-based study was conducted to investigate the effect of filter bed design variables on the clogging phenomenon in non-vegetated stormwater filters with high infiltration rates. Design parameters studied include: filter media particle sizes (0.5 mm, 2 mm, 5 mm); depth of the filter bed (100 mm, 300 mm and 500 mm); and filter media packing configurations (layered or mixed). The size of filter media particles significantly impact the clogging process, as well as the overall sediment removal performance of the filters; filters with smaller particles had better sediment removal efficiency, but subsequently shorter lifespan. Deeper systems had longer lifespan compared with shallower ones, notwithstanding deeper systems removed more sediment over their life span. Having two layers of distinct sized media in the filter bed improved performance (e.g. volume of water treated; sediment removed) over the single-layered systems. However, the three-layered systems behaved similarly to two-layered systems. Mixed systems also showed improved performance, as compared with single-layered systems, and were similar to the three-layered systems. This study therefore suggests that simple modifications to a stormwater filtration system can help improve sediment removal performance and/or reduce maintenance intervals significantly, while only slightly affecting sediment removal performance.     

Hydraulic and pollutant removal performance of stormwater filters under variable wetting and drying regimes.

Biofiltration systems are an effective stormwater treatment technology. However, their robustness is yet to be tested, particularly their performance following extended dry periods. The hydraulic and treatment performance of five different non-vegetated, soil-based filters under varying periods of inundation and drying was assessed. The infiltration capacity of the filters decreased during wet periods and increased following dry periods, most probably due to swelling and shrinkage of the filter media. Treatment of sediment, heavy metals and phosphorus was not influenced by the wetting and drying regime. However, outflow concentrations of nitrogen were significantly higher upon re-wetting following extended dry periods compared with wet periods. This result has implications for current design practices, as these nitrogen pulses could negatively impact the ecological health of downstream receiving waters.     

Performance of enviss? stormwater filters: results of a laboratory trial

An experimental study was undertaken by Monash University to develop and test enviss? stormwater treatment and harvesting technologies - non-vegetated filtration systems with an extremely low footprint. This paper focuses on the water quality and hydraulic performance of two systems tested over a 'year' of operation in a Melbourne climate: (1) REUSE enviss? filters, designed for stormwater harvesting systems for non-potable supply substitution, and (2) WSUD enviss? filters, developed to treat urban stormwater prior to discharge to downstream systems. The presence of chlorine as a disinfection agent proved to be very efficient for the removal of microorganisms in REUSE enviss? filters. WSUD enviss? filters had the benefit of providing an elevated nutrient treatment performance, due to an extended depth of filter media. However, nutrient outflow concentrations (total nitrogen (TN) in particular) were found to increase during the testing period. Also, extended dry weather periods were found to have a detrimental effect on the treatment performance of almost all pollutants for both filters (nutrients, Escherichia coli and heavy metals). Although hydraulic conductivity results indicated two or three sediment trap replacements per year are required to maintain filtration rates, it is expected that the compressed loading rate schedule overestimated this maintenance frequency.     

Filter media for stormwater treatment and recycling: the influence of hydraulic properties of flow on pollutant removal.

Improved urban water management in Australia is of national importance. Water resources are stretched and urban runoff is a recognized leading cause of degradation of urban waterways. Stormwater recycling is an option that can contribute to easing these problems. Biofilters are effective structural stormwater pollution control measures with the potential for integration into stormwater treatment and recycling systems. However, premature clogging of biofilters is a major problem, with resulting decreased infiltration capacity (and hence the volume of stormwater the system can detain) and increased detention time. This paper presents preliminary findings with respect to the effect of clogging on pollutant removal efficiency in conventional stormwater filter media. A one-dimensional laboratory rig was used to investigate the impact of clogging on pollutant removal efficiency in a conventional biofiltration filter media (gravel over sand). Both the individual gravel layer and the overall multi-filter were highly efficient at removing suspended solids and particulate-associated pollutants. This removal efficiency was consistent, even as the filters became clogged. Removal of dissolved nutrients was more variable, with little reduction in concentrations overall. Although preliminary, these results challenge the concept that increased detention time improves the treatment performance of stormwater filtration systems.     

Stormwater reuse: designing biofiltration systems for reliable treatment.

Stormwater reuse is increasing in popularity as a technique for overcoming water shortages in urban Australia. However, technology for the reliable treatment of stormwater for reuse is still not fully developed. This paper presents the first steps in refining biofilters for stormwater reuse. Six different filter media were selected, to target specific stormwater pollutants, as well as support plant growth. They were tested in the laboratory, where the filters were dosed three times per week with semi-synthetic stormwater for five weeks. Pollutant removal performance was monitored, and revealed that all soil-based filters performed similarly (while sand filters behaved somewhat differently). All filters removed more than 80% of solids and greater than 90% of lead, copper, and zinc. Three filter types were able to remove some phosphorus (particularly in the top 30 cm of the media). Apart from sand, all filter media were net producers of nitrogen, leading to an important conclusion that non-vegetated, soil-based filters are not suitable for targeting nutrients. However, since heavy metals are the primary pollutant of concern with respect to stormwater reuse for irrigation (the most popular end-use), it was concluded that biofilters may be promising technologies for treatment of stormwater for reuse.     

Long-term hydraulic and pollution retention performance of infiltration systems.

Infiltration techniques are now widely used to manage stormwater in urban areas. These techniques are used and recognized around the world for their many advantages, such as decreasing stormwater flow in sewer systems and recharging groundwater. But numerous cases of infiltration devices that failed after a few years of operation are still being reported. This study, which is based on site-monitoring of operational infiltration systems, is part of the Field Observatory for Urban Water Management (OTHU). The main goals of this study are to improve knowledge of long-term hydraulic behaviour, especially as concerns the clogging speed and the quality of the runoff. This article will present the site, the monitoring process and the model that will be used to assess the hydraulic behaviour. First results of the calibration of the model show that the model is able to assess the hydraulic behaviour of the basin when it is clogged (average value of hydraulic resistance 17.1 h) and when it has been scraped (hydraulic resistance less than 3.8 h). However, further data are needed in order to validate the model. We also show that the experimental setup is well designed to assess the water volume and the sediment brought to the basin with low uncertainties.     

The Effect of Geological Heterogeneity and Groundwater Table Depth on the Hydraulic Performance of Stormwater Infiltration Facilities

Urbanization has led to a substantial change in the hydrological cycle of urban catchments. Increased runoff and urban flooding, decreased direct subsurface infiltration and groundwater recharge, deterioration of water quality are among the major effects of this alteration. To alleviate these effects, Low Impact Development (LID) practices have been frequently adopted for stormwater management. Among LID infrastructures, infiltration facilities are particularly challenging to design and model due to the considerable amount of uncertainties related to the hydrogeological configuration of installation sites. To date, analysis on how soil heterogeneity, groundwater table depth, and thickness of the unsaturated zone affect the hydraulic performance of infiltration facilities are lacking. To address this knowledge gap, a series of numerical experiments under transient variably water saturated conditions were performed for a hypothetical infiltration facility. Numerical simulations showed that i) infiltration rates increase considerably as the initial depth of the groundwater table increases, ii) the contribution of the bottom of the facility to the infiltration of water is generally higher than the sides, iii) the presence of a less conducting soil layer at a short depth from the bottom of the facility reduces infiltration rates dramatically, iv) the complete clogging of the bottom of the facility has a dramatic impact on the hydraulic performance, v) the stochastic heterogeneity of the soil controls the overall stormwater infiltration process through the facility, and the hydraulic performance may largely deviate from the case when heterogeneity is absent.

     

离散型流道结构叠片过滤器性能试验研究

在叠片过滤器中,叠片流道的结构决定着其工作性能。为提高叠片过滤器的水力性能和过滤性能,设计了一种离散型流道新型叠片过滤器,并与直线型流道传统叠片过滤器进行对比。通过室内模型试验,研究了两种叠片过滤器的水头损失、除沙率、拦沙量、拦截泥沙粒径分布等指标。结果表明：清水条件下离散型流道新型叠片过滤器最大水头损失为2.34 m,传统叠片过滤器为3.46 m,前者比后者小32.3%～50.0%;含沙水条件下,两种叠片过滤器拦沙量与流量呈负相关关系,随着流量的增加,过滤器拦截泥沙量逐渐减少,前者平均除沙率为18.94%,后者为15.15%;离散型流道新型叠片过滤器的有效过滤周期长、水头损失峰值低,且对细粒径泥沙的拦截效果较好。综上所述,离散型流道新型叠片过滤器与直线型流道传统叠片过滤器相比,具有较好的水力性能和过滤性能。     

Development and investigation of a pollution control pit for treatment of stormwater from metal roofs and traffic areas.

Source control by on-site retention and infiltration of stormwater is a sustainable and proven alternative to classical drainage methods. Unfortunately, sedimentary particles and pollutants from drained surfaces cause clogging and endanger soil and groundwater during long-term operation of infiltration devices. German water authorities recommend the use of infiltration devices, such as swales or swale-trench-systems. Direct infiltration by underground facilities, such as pipes, trenches or sinks, without pretreatment of runoff is generally not permitted. Problems occur with runoff from metal roofs, traffic areas and industrial sites. However, due to site limitations, underground systems are often the only feasible option. To overcome this situation, a pollution control pit was developed with a hydrodynamic separator and a multistage filter made of coated porous concrete. The system treats runoff at source and protects soil, groundwater and receiving waterways. Typically, more than 90% of the pollutants such as sedimentary particles, hydrocarbons and heavy metals can be removed. Filters have been developed to treat even higher polluted stormwater loads from metal roofs and industrial sites. The treatment process is based on sedimentation, filtration, adsorption and chemical precipitation. Sediments are trapped in a special chamber within the pit and can be removed easily. Other pollutants are captured in the concrete filter upstream of the sediment separator chamber. Filters can be easily replaced.     

Upgrading of waste water treatment plants by cloth-filtration using an improved type of filter-cloth

In order to reach in the effluents of wastewater treatment plants values for phosphorous below 0,5 mg P/l and for the suspended solids below 5 mg SS/l, a filtration stage is necessary in almost all instances. Apart from conventional deep-bed porous media filters (gravity filters), cloth filtration systems offer a viable alternative because of the low head loss, and their low price. The use of pile fabrics instead of conventional needle felt solves the crucial problem of cloth filtration: the considerable increase of cloth resistance due to the irreversible soiling. Cloth filtration plants equipped with this filter media allow for considerably higher hydraulic strains and for higher surface loads with a separation performance on the same level as reached by conventional systems. If the problem of clogging is solved as well, it should be possible to use pile fabrics with even finer filaments on a pile of micro-fibres, which would further increase the effluent quality.     

Coarse filters for pond effluent polishing: comparison of loading rates and grain sizes.

A system comprising a UASB reactor, shallow polishing ponds and shallow coarse filters, treating actual wastewater from the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, has been evaluated. The main focus of the research was to compare grain sizes and hydraulic loading rates in the coarse filters. Two filters operating in parallel were investigated, with the following grain sizes: Filter 1: 3 to 10 cm; Filter 2: 8 to 20 cm. Two hydraulic loading rates were tested: 0.5 and 1.0 m3/m3.d. The filter with the lower rock size had a better performance than the filter with the larger rock size in the removal of SS and, as a consequence, BOD and COD. A better performance was obtained with the hydraulic loading rate of 0.5 m3/m3.d, as compared to the rate of 1.0 m3/m3.d. The effluent quality during the period with the lower loading rate was very good for discharge into water bodies or for agricultural reuse (median effluent concentrations from Filter 1: BOD: 20 mg/L; COD: 106 mg/L; SS: 28 mg/L; E. coli: 528 MPN/100 mL).     

Modeling the Infiltration Capacity of Permeable Stormwater Channels with a Check Dam System

The use of permeable stormwater channels has introduced concerns over the effects of infiltration on the hydraulic behavior of their flow and the effects of flow hydraulic conditions (e.g., the water level, channel section, flow velocity, and vegetation) on the channel infiltration capacity. A check dam system provides backwater ponding, which increases the flow water depth along a channel. In this study, a channel model was used to investigate the variation in the infiltration capacity of permeable stormwater channels under different flow hydraulic conditions. Increasing the downstream check dam height and using a grass cover increased the infiltration rate and cumulative infiltration because of the decreased velocity and increased flow depth. The presence of subsurface water did not affect the hydraulic characteristics of the channel flow but decreased the cumulative infiltration because of the fast saturation of the soil. An empirical equation was developed for predicting the infiltration capacity of grassed channels in which four hydraulic parameters (i.e., the water depth, base width, side slope, and velocity) are introduced to the modified Kostiakov model. The developed model was used to calculate the runoff reduction due to infiltration along a grassed channel with and without a check dam system. The percentage of infiltrated water increased from 8 to 14% with the check dam system. The developed model can be used to predict the infiltration capacity of permeable channels for improved stormwater management and provides a valuable decision support tool for permeable channel design.

     

Local infiltration devices at parking sites--experimental assessment of temporal changes in hydraulic and contaminant removal capacity.

On site infiltration of stormwater is a common practice in order to avoid hydraulic overload of the urban drainage system. If hydrological conditions allow on-site infiltration--this is even mandatory from a legal point of view. Focus in this work is on surface infiltration of stormwater from parking lots. Proper operation of those devices is assumed to be appr. 15 years, as permits granted are limited to this time. Questions are raised whether this considered life expectancy is feasible. One apprehension is a possible clogging effect reducing the hydraulic capacity of the swale. The second aim was to identify magnitudes of accumulated pollutant loads with respect to limitations onto lifetime. The experimental investigation covered infiltration swales of different ages from eleven supermarket parking lots in Tyrol. Hydraulic permeabilities were assessed as well as chemical conditions of the soil material regarding hydrocarbon index (HI) and heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb and Cd). Further mass balance of contaminants has been performed in order to assess the operational life time based on pollutant load consideration. Calculations were based on load estimations using literature based minima and maxima concentrations from surface flows. Testing the correlation of hydraulic and pollutant measurements against site specific parameters (age, traffic load) revealed no distinct relation. In general all measured pollutants were found under limit concentrations. Mass balance calculations showed that limit concentrations are not exceeded either for worst case loading and considering 15 years of operation.     

Hydraulic performance of biofilters for stormwater management: first lessons from both laboratory and field studies.

In order to improve knowledge on stormwater biofiltration systems, the Facility for Advancing Water Biofiltration (FAWB) was created at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. One of the aims of FAWB is to improve hydraulic performance of biofilters, given that there are numerous cases of infiltration devices failing after a few years of operation. Experiments were conducted in the field to evaluate the performance of existing systems, and in the lab to understand the factors that influence hydraulic behavior over time. The field experiments show that 43% of tested systems are below nominal Australian guidelines for hydraulic conductivity. The preliminary lab results show a decrease in hydraulic conductivity during the first weeks of operation (mu=66% reduction), although most remain within acceptable limits. Influences of the size of the biofilter relative to its catchment and the importance of the type of media, on the evolution of hydraulic conductivity, are examined.     

海绵城市入渗设施淤堵研究进展及长期性能改进方案探讨

针对海绵城市渗井、渗透管和渗透塘等典型入渗设施,阐述了淤堵机理和性能改进研究的意义。将淤堵影响因素分为淤堵物源性质、水动力条件和滤层特性3个方面,分别围绕这3个方面概述了淤堵研究进展。将我国海绵城市入渗设施淤堵问题研究的不足和需要加强研究的方面归纳为:淤堵物源特征仍然不够明确,水流条件研究不够全面,间歇运行的影响研究不够,实际组合滤层结构缺乏研究,时间效应研究不够,主要作用机制认识存在分歧,结构形式和运行维护方案研究不够,缺乏原型试验和实际工程研究。针对我国海绵城市建设,提出急需针对典型城市区域监测实际雨洪,尤其是久未下雨后暴雨中的第1波雨洪,研究入渗设施的淤堵物源性质。基于类似问题的研究工作,分析了入渗设施滤层性能改进的途径,认为可更换滤层方案可以突破入渗设施淤堵问题,促进入渗设施的更广泛运用,从而保障海绵城市建设的长期效果。     

Evaluation of two stormwater infiltration trenches in central Copenhagen after 15 years of operation

Two stormwater infiltration trenches were installed in 1993 in an area in central Copenhagen. The system was monitored continuously for almost three years after establishment, and a small reduction in performance over that time, possibly due to clogging, was noted. A new study was conducted in 2009 to see whether the reduction in performance has continued and to determine how the system performs today. Water levels in the trenches were monitored for almost 4 months, and from this period seven events were selected to analyse the infiltration rate. A comparison with similar analyses on storm sequences from the first 3 years of operation shows that the infiltration has decreased since the establishment of the system 15 years ago. The decrease is statistically significant (p<0.01). A clogging model was fitted to the data and predictions were made for future performance. The results show that the system will discharge around 10 times more annual overflow to the sewers after 100 years of operation compared to the initial volumes, if clogging continues at current rates. This corresponds to 60% of the total runoff from the area. The results show that clogging and proper maintenance are important factors to consider when implementing stormwater infiltration trenches.     

The effect of the scale of horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands on flow and transport parameters.

Horizontal subsurface flow constructed wetlands have proven their efficiency in treating wastewater and removing the pollutants of concern. Treatment efficiency depends on the wastewater residence time, which is a function of the hydraulic loading and the physical conditions of the constructed filter system, which can be described with effective parameters such as: hydraulic conductivity, porosity, dispersivity etc. Because spatial variability is often scale dependent, these effective parameters may be affected by the scale of the system being studied. In this paper the results of tracer experiments in constructed filters using saturated horizontal flow at three scales (small and medium lab scales and full-scale system) using the same filter media is reported. Light-weight aggregate (filter media termed Filtralite-P) was used at all scales. Increasing the scale was associated with increasing dispersivity, meanwhile hydraulic conductivity experienced dramatic reduction and variation by increasing the examined scale. Observed changes in the hydraulic parameters indicate that heterogeneity at different scales should be taken into account when the performance of LWA filters are evaluated from small-scale experiments.     

Influent flow control to increase the pollution load treated during rainy periods

The European Directive of May 1991 concerning urban wastewater treatment points out that sewerage systems must be designed to limit the pollution of receiving watercourses by stormwater discharges. As for the system management, the French Decree of 22 December 1995 states that flows or pollution loads exceeding the reference capacity of the treatment plant may be temporarily admitted. This is especially interesting in the case of separate wastewater sewerage, as inappropriate connections of runoff water and rainfall induced infiltration cause hydraulic overloads in such networks. An automated influent flow control has been implemented on a 8000 population equivalent plant to admit a maximum of twice the dry weather peak flow: the clarifier is then dynamically managed so that neither sludge loss nor degradation through anoxic conditions may occur. A yearly simulation of such a strategy on a smaller treatment plant shows a very significant reduction (90%) of the volume discharged during rainy periods. It can therefore be concluded that a plant with additional hydraulic capacity and good sludge quality can play a significant role in limiting the stormwater discharges from separate sewerage systems. However this operational benefit depends on the inflow composition in the sewerage system (wastewaters, rain and infiltration waters).     

Understanding the Role of Urban Road Surface Characteristics in influencing Stormwater Quality

Urban road surfaces are one of the most important stormwater pollution sources. Asphalt and concrete road surfaces are typical road types in China and have different characteristics such as roughness, textures and infiltration rates. This could lead to differences of collecting and retaining pollutants. In this context, designing stormwater treatment for different road surfaces respectively is crucial to effectively minimize the stormwater deterioration. This closely depends on an in-depth understanding of stormwater quality characteristics on urban road surfaces. This research study investigated the stormwater quality characteristics on typical asphalt and concrete surfaces. The research outcomes show that road surface characteristics could play a more important role in influencing the resulting stormwater runoff quality than rainfall characteristics. Additionally, asphalt surface due to the relatively rough nature could play a more important role in influencing the overall pollutant export characteristics from urban road surfaces. It is also noted that there are notable differences in pollutant wash-off processes on different surfaces, where the wash-off process on asphalt surfaces tends to be a transport limiting process, while the wash-off process on concrete surfaces tends to be a source limiting process. These results can contribute to stormwater treatment design enhancement for urban roads such as treatment placement, rainfall event selection and water quality estimation.