The Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center has developed, tested and patented a storm water runoff treatment system that meets stringent military and government industrial site toxicity requirements.
The Navy system meets strict regulatory toxicity requirements in a cost-effective manner. The system is similar to a sand filter; however, instead of relying solely on sand, heavy metals (in particular, zinc and copper) are removed by a bed of special filter-absorption materials.
The Navy's storm water treatment system has consistently exceeded regulatory requirements, while the previous system met requirements only one-third of the time.
Other benefits of the Navy system include the low capital cost of approximately $20,000 per acre of watershed compared to at least $57,000 per acre for the previous system; the need for a smaller amount of space than the previous system, which makes the Navy system more attractive to cramped military and industrial sites; and low maintenance costs.
More info: Darin D. Oelkers, TeckLink, 406-994-7723, darin@montana.edu or Kurt Buehler, Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center, 805-982-4897
