The goal of the TMDL program is arguably simple - to develop watershed level conservation plans designed to restore impaired waters and attain applicable water quality standards – but its development and implementation has not been simple. In an attempt to bring new clarity to the process of incorporating TMDLs into stormwater permits, the EPA

There are a vast number of stormwater separators on the market which can make it challenging when selecting the ideal solution for each project.  Hydrodynamic separators and oil/water separators are often used interchangeably in the industry but each system is unique and one may be better suited for the overall treatment goals of the project.   So

Stormwater regulations are calling for an increased level of treatment. This often takes the form of filtration systems. Two types of filtration systems used in stormwater are media filtration and membrane filtration.Media Filtration systems function through physical capture of pollutants, as well as adsorption of pollutants through chemical

Most people do not think about how they get the water they use; they just turn on the tap and the water is there. The same holds true for rainwater harvesting (RWH) systems. Most people understand there is a cistern that collects and holds the harvested water. But what they may not realize is that with every large scale RWH system there is a

The only sure way to eliminate stormwater pollution is to eliminate stormwater runoff. In recognition of this fact, Green Infrastructure (GI) and Low Impact Development (LID) practices have prioritized runoff reduction as a primary regulation for stormwater management.  These practices have proliferated throughout the United States.Surface

Using harvested rainwater is not new, it has been in practice for thousands of years (3000 B.C., and may be even earlier).  But we have something that wasn’t available back then; the ability to disinfect rainwater to make it safe for human contact or ingestion.  Harvested rainwater can be safely used outdoors and indoors if the correct steps are

In my last blog post, What Kind of Trash and Debris is in Stormwater Runoff?, I wrote about the types of trash found in stormwater and the effects trash and debris have on our environment and infrastructure. Continuing with the topic of trash control; if your community is interested in developing a trash control strategy here are six key points

Some engineers are hesitant to use corrugated metal pipe (CMP) for stormwater applications because they have read or heard about CMP being used in culverts that have corroded. This shouldn’t be the case. Many decades ago, galvanized pipe was the coating of choice for culverts; that now has been replaced with Aluminized Type 2 (ALT2).  The primary

Remember when stormwater filtration was at the forefront of runoff water quality treatment?  Have the variables and performances that led to its successful history been displaced by recent Green Infrastructure (GI) or Low Impact Development (LID) initiatives, or is filtration a viable partner in the GI and LID arena?  Boiling it down, why should we

We all know that stormwater runoff carries trash and debris into our water ways, but have you ever wondered what kind of material this runoff picks up?A Contech Continuous Deflective Separation unit (CDS) was installed on a site in California and the performance of the unit was monitored over a 12 months. During a maintenance event, the trash and