Stormwater Treatment by Upflow Filtration Device

The objective of this research is to examine the removal capacities of a recently developed stormwater filtration device, in part developed by engineers at the University of Alabama through a Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The Up-Flo® Filter is an efficient high-rate stormwater filtration technology designed for the removal of trash, sediments, nutrients, metals and hydrocarbons from stormwater runoff. Compared with the traditional downflow filtration treatment, the upflow filtration method reduces clogging and was developed to remove a broad range of stormwater pollutants, especially those associated with particulates. The high flow rate capacities of the upflow filter are accomplished through controlled fluidization of the filtration media, while still capturing very small particulates through a flexible, but constraining, media container. The upflow filter also drains down between rain events which minimizes anaerobic conditions in the media and which also partially flushes captured particulates from the media to the storage sump, decreasing clogging and increasing run times between maintenance. Gross floatables are captured through the use of an angled screen before the media and a hood on the overflow siphon, while the sump captures bed load particulates.