A laboratory and field scale evaluation of compost biofilters for stormwater management

摘要: It is widely acknowledged that construction site stormwater runoff is a significant source of sediments and sediment-bound pollutants to urban streams. Receiving water quality concerns associated with increased construction activities in recent years in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) has prompted government agencies and academia to research new stormwater treatment technologies that can be used in the thousands of construction sites across the GTA.Simultaneously, Federal and Provincial governments are encouraging 60% recycling within municipalities and regions. A large quantity of compost is being produced, but not efficiently utilized. A sustainable, green technology has been developed that uses large volumes of compost material as engineered compost biofilters for stormwater runoff treatment. These compost biofilters provide a novel, effective, economical, and sustainable solution for treatment of stormwater runoff.