Smart Sponge: So Far, So Good
The so-called Smart Sponge stormwater filters, which were installed in Norwalk last year on a trial basis, appear to be working. Soundkeeper Terry Backer held a press conference yesterday with Senator Joe Liebermann, to say that early results have been good. The filters easily trap the big stuff – bottles, fast-food wrappers – and also remove smaller pollutants. The Stamford Advocate reported:
Since their installation in November, the filters, which are cleaned every few months, have removed an estimated 14,000 pounds of debris from stormwater, officials said yesterday. … water emerging from the filtered drains was 75 percent cleaner than water that entered the harbor from unfiltered drains.
Because stormwater is so contaminated, health officials automatically ban oyster harvesting after a rainstorm. The Norwalk Islands are rich in oysters, so if the filters work, maybe the beds will be able to stay open more often.
Since their installation in November, the filters, which are cleaned every few months, have removed an estimated 14,000 pounds of debris from stormwater, officials said yesterday. … water emerging from the filtered drains was 75 percent cleaner than water that entered the harbor from unfiltered drains.
Because stormwater is so contaminated, health officials automatically ban oyster harvesting after a rainstorm. The Norwalk Islands are rich in oysters, so if the filters work, maybe the beds will be able to stay open more often.
posted by Tom Andersen at 11:33 AM
2 Comments:
The relevant question with any treatment device is not what was captured, but what pollutants got by? Photo-ops of piles of trash an debris are tangible signs of progress that make us feel good about ourselves. But they don't tell us if we've achieved water quality goals or if the effort is cost-effective. --Adam
It is progress because most stormwater drains located on streets do not have the smartsponge technology. So, ALL contaminants were passing by. Now at least most contaminants are being filtered by the smart sponge. More information can be found on our website. http://www.HydroCarbonAbsorber.com
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