Hydro International has launched The Hydro StormTrain Series, a comprehensive toolbox of surface water treatment devices in anticipation of the growing need to remove silts, sediments and other pollutants from stormwater runoff.
Through The Hydro StormTrain Series, Hydro is providing an unrivalled range of performance-verified and internationally-recognised technologies for surface water treatment to meet current and expected water quality regulations in the UK.
Four products, First Defense, Downstream Defender, The Up-Flo Filter and Hydro Filterra, are Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) that can be used independently or in combination to deliver a Treatment Train that meets the water quality stipulations of a site. They can also be used to protect, enhance or enable natural SuDS features.
The expectations of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) are influencing the development of surface water quality regulations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as driving the implementation of established regulations in Scotland. In every case, Hydro's treatment devices offer future-proof SuDS-compliance.
In England and Wales, SuDS will be compulsory for new developments of more than one property from April 2014. New Local Authority SuDS Approving Bodies (SABS) will assess drainage schemes according to new National Standards that are likely to include expectations for water quality and pollutant removal.
"Traditionally, drainage systems have been designed to control the flow and quantity of surface water. However, developers and highways contractors are increasingly being required to achieve environmental water quality standards, too," said Alex Stephenson Director of Hydro International's Stormwater Division. "The techniques and choices are still relatively unfamiliar to many and choosing the right combination of SuDS techniques to provide predictable, repeatable and measurable pollutant removal can be challenging.
"With the Hydro StormTrainTM Series, we have combined the best surface water devices already being used successfully in the UK with internationally-proven technologies new to this country. As a result we are offering the industry an unrivalled resource, which is backed by Hydro's dedicated free design services."
- The First Defense is an economical vortex separator that removes coarse particles, litter and oil from surface water runoff.
- The Downstream Defender is an advanced hydrodynamic vortex separator that removes fine particles along with oils and other floatable debris from surface water runoff.
- The Up-Flo Filter combines sedimentation and screening with fluidised bed filtration technology to deliver a high-performance multi-stage treatment train within a single device.
- The Hydro Filterra bioretention system combines the natural treatment action of an ecosystem with specially-engineered filtration soils in an easy-to-fit concrete unit.
Hydro has developed a unique online Treatment Selection Tool to help explore the consequences of combining proprietary and natural SuDS techniques in a variety of applications.
