RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF EFFECTIVE SUSPENDED SOLIDS REMOVAL FROM STORMWATER RUNOFF IN COLLECTION SYSTEMS USING IN-LINE LAMELLA PLATE SEPARATORS

Many of the problem pollutants are particulate-bound in storm water runoff. Test results indicated the following: (a) soil disturbance increased the TSS and turbidity in the runoff; and (b) correlations were observed between TSS and particulate runoff concentrations of chromium, copper, and zinc, indicating that solids removal may reduce total metals concentrations. The first concern when investigating innovative treatment methods is determining the needed level of stormwater control. Specific treatment goals usually specify about 80 % reductions in suspended solids concentrations. In most stormwaters, this would require the removal of most particulates greater than about 10 μm in diameter, which is about 1% of the 1 mm size to prevent sewerage deposition problems. Numerous manufacturers have developed proprietary devices to treat stormwater runoff. These devices have been designed to treat one or more of the common stormwater pollutants – solids, metals, oil and grease, nutrients and bacteria. The ability of inclined cells (lamella plates) to provide excellent treatment of stormwater for a variety of pollutants was demonstrated by Pitt et al. (1999) in the report on the multi-chambered treatment train (MCTT) at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Terre Hill Concrete Products is sponsoring a research project at Penn State Harrisburg. One of th