“Boaters in general are a “green” constituency when it comes to the marine environment. We have found that our clients appreciate the effort and expense we have gone to help improve the wash and stormwater that originates on our property.” - Michael de Pfyffer, Vice President; Thunderbird Marine Corp.
During their research into filtration systems they came across a number of closed-loop systems that dealt specifically with heavy metals and sediments generated at the wash pads, the boat washing areas of a yard. While wash areas are of specific concern to Canadian regulators as sources of pollutants, Thunderbird Marine decided to go a step further and filter all hard-surface runoff. They selected the StormwateRx Aquip system as a way to provide a higher degree of environmental protection. StormwateRx provided an Aquip stormwater filtration system for Thunderbird Marine in early 2010, adding it as the final component in the marina’s drainage system. Levels of all major pollutants were immediately reduced. Elements of most concern, such as copper, zinc and lead, were reduced by as much as 95 to 98%. StormwateRx took into account Westport Marina’s existing drainage structures and addressed needs specific to the site. Stormwater runoff from the entire hard-surface area of the Marina site drains through the existing system and then is pumped to an Aquip 110SBE capable of treating up to 2.5 acres at up to 170 gpm, before discharging off site. The Aquip system has dramatically reduced the heavy metal and sediment load in the Westport Marina effluent. Testing previous to the StormwateRx system showed a percentage of copper that was at 9,830 parts per billion (ppb). While testing has shown that input, or influent, levels of different pollutants can vary greatly – depending on boatyard activity, rainfall, etc. – overall the Aquip system has resulted in reduced pollutant levels across the board; and for heavy metals in particular, such as copper, zinc and lead, the system has seen reductions between 95 and 99%. The first test results in early February, after the system was installed, showed copper at 53 ppb in the effluent after an influent of 986 ppb, a 95% reduction input-to-output. A test run two months later, in early spring, showed input copper levels at 8,010 ppb and output at 125 ppb, a more than 98% reduction. That same testing showed an 85% reduction in zinc and more than a 90% reduction in lead. All resulting levels for those elements were well below Environment Canada’s pollutant benchmark requirements.
Aquip is an innovative, enhanced media filtration system for industrial stormwater applications. This stormwater treatment Best Management Practice (BMP) is a highly efficient system that provides the treatment needed to meet stormwater quality standards in a simple and easy-to-use configuration.
Aquip:
Aquip is available in several performance levels, each specifically designed for the reduction of stormwater pollutants such as oils, suspended solids, heavy metals (including dissolved metals), organics, and nutrients.
Contact us to find out how the Aquip can help you meet your stormwater quality requirements.