The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) recently added three proprietary stormwater treatment devices to its pretreatment approved list.
In urban or suburban areas, precipitation does not evaporate or soak into the ground. Instead, it enters the nearest waterway as stormwater runoff. Runoff contains chemical contaminants that can feed harmful algae blooms. The blooms reduce oxygen levels, cloud the water, and block sunlight from reaching underwater vegetation, leading to water-quality problems, shellfish closures, and beach closures.
“Increased development across the Narragansett Bay watershed has made stormwater runoff the biggest source of pollution to our coastal waters,” Terry Gray, acting DEM director, said. “Cleaner beaches and shellfish beds start with better stormwater control in our municipalities.”
Members of the DEM Office of Water Resource’s stormwater engineering program and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation and Coastal Resources Management Council review the proprietary stormwater treatment technology applications.
The three approved technologies are the Jellyfish Filter, the Stormceptor, and the Cascade Separator. The Jellyfish Filter was recertified as a water quality best management practice device, while the Stormceptor and Cascade Separator were recertified for use as a pretreatment device.
Approved proprietary devices also must be designed, built, and maintained to meet DEM specifications.