Classification of Stormwater Treatment Devices for Performance Evaluation

A large number of stormwater treatment devices are commercially available to meet the need of urban areas. Substantial differences are evident in the way the performance of these treatment systems are evaluated and presented. Various measures to indicate treatment performance are in use and this makes comparisons between different systems difficult. Classification of treatment systems based on performance curves can assist in evaluating treatment systems on a more consistent basis. We focus on physical treatment systems that have robust capabilities to handle high and variable flow rates and are especially suitable for suspended solids removal to achieve nonpotable water quality. This paper presents a new classification scheme based on the principal treatment mechanism for screening of treatment system.