ASHLAND, Va., Jan. 15, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- The Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) has issued a Conditional Use Level Designation for basic (TSS) and phosphorus treatment for Americast's Filterra(r) Stormwater Bioretention Filtration System.
Based on submissions from Americast, the Washington DOE Technical Review Committee evaluated and determined bioretention filtration met their standards for basic treatment. The state's DOE issued Filterra two designations for bioretention filtration use: a conditional short-term use for basic and phosphorus treatment and a pilot use for enhanced and oil treatment. The Washington DOE's conditions of use say the Filterra units meet conditions identified by the Western Washington Hydrology Model or other state DOE approved continuous runoff models.
The designation of natural, biological filtration technology in Washington demonstrates a significant change in approved methods for basic treatment compared to other methods, such as media filtration. Bioretention filtration is an engineered process for managing stormwater runoff, using the chemical, biological and physical properties of the natural interaction of plants, microbes and soil. It improves water quality by removing pollutants and nutrients associated with urban runoff. Although it is a newer approach for stormwater filtration, the principle of biological treatment using "rain gardens" and natural filtration is well established in many parts of the country and forms the basis for agricultural and wastewater treatment practices.
Based on 15 years of research and development in bioretention testing and field monitoring, Filterra has gained approval of this technology for stormwater management projects in Washington and throughout the northwest. The Filterra system has no moving parts or special components to replace. Unlike end-of-line treatment systems, it treats smaller drainage areas closer to the source of pollutants. Easy to design and install, the Filterra system requires little long-term maintenance and can be strategically fit into existing landscape designs, making it an attractive solution for new construction, as well as site retrofits.
About Filterra
There are over 800 Filterra Stormwater Bioretention Filtration Systems installed nationwide. Each system harnesses the power of nature to treat stormwater runoff through a biological process. The Filterra system meets or exceeds federal and state regulatory guidelines for pollutant removal efficiencies of TSS, phosphorus and nitrogen. With more than 200 best management practice approvals in jurisdictions across the US, the Washington DOE's approval further confirms the value of this technology.
About Americast
Founded in 1946 by Bill Galt and Wilson McNeely, Jr., Americast is an independently-owned precast concrete and reinforced concrete pipe manufacturer, offering a broad range of products and services throughout the US. For the past 15 years, Americast has been in the forefront of the design, manufacture and distribution of various sanitary and stormwater treatment systems to meet their clients regulatory requirements. Filterra is the culmination of that experience and represents the state-of-the-art in advanced stormwater bioretention treatment technology.