Do you know what stormwater filters are? Do you know what they are used for? If you’re looking to find out answers to those two questions, then keep reading into the following paragraphs to find out information related to all of this.
The most basic kind of stormwater filter you might be familiar with is the metal grate you see over runoff entry points on the sides of streets and in parking lots. These are points where water that can’t naturally drain out from precipitation would head into flood pipes that take the water to drivers and drainways where it can’t cause wrecks or flood homes and buildings. These large covers keep large pieces of debris from getting into the pipes, as well as preventing people from falling into them or cars and trucks getting stuck in them as the drive over them.
There are also more advanced stormwater filters designed to do things like cleaning the water before it is allowed to run off. They can remove phosphorous, oil, silt, hydrocarbons, sediment, and heavy metals from site runoff before it’s allowed to escape. This seriously cleans the water out. They can easily fitted to pipes, fittings, catch basins, and storm drains. Models can include self-bailers, pipe filter socks, debris and oil drain blockers and even downspout filters.
The environment is one big reason for filtering stormwater that might runoff of a site. Increased phosphorous levels can impact the acidity and pH levels of water, which can dramatically impact the fish and wildlife both in the downstream water or that rely on it for survival. Cleaner water also means there is less ocean pollution when rivers run out to sea. Downstream cities also have easier times using cleaner water for drinking uses.
There are also local advantages to filtering storm water, and sometimes it’s even legally mandated. Water with too much silt might back up and create higher levels of river and creek beds, meaning damming and flooding over time. Also, too much sediment and silt lost over time can risk soil erosion at the source sites.
The advantages to your property using stormwater filtration are numerous. It’s great to go green at home and set a good example for your kids or neighbors. If you’re a business, then you can honor the eco-conscious beliefs of your employees and prevent yourself as a earth-friendly business to your consumers. On a more practical level, when you prevent erosion and flooding on both your own property and those downhill from you, you are taking good preventative steps that should help you avoid litigation and liability in possible lawsuits or claims against your business.
Now that you have read this article, you know what stormwater filters are, some of the kinds of them there are, and also why they are necessary. With the growing awareness of how what can happen with water a thousand miles upstream can impact fishing a hundred miles off-shore, these filters are necessary for cleaning stormwater anywhere it happens.
