US 5,820,762 AGranted

Filter insert for a storm drain

OwnerJonathan Michael Bamer, Gregory Stevens Conradinventors

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Abstract

An insert for a storm drain or sanitary sewer inlet such as are found in factory or warehouse floors, parking lots and car washes in which the insert holds one or more bags of filter media. The bags have a very open structure such as coarse weave cotton permitting water entering the drain to pass through each bag and the filter media inside the bag. The entire bag may be conveniently withdrawn from the insert and replaced as the filter media becomes saturated. Preferably, a first bag contains an absorbant cellulose particulate media which absorbs oils and greases and post non-volatile hydrocarbons and a second bag contains specially textured activated carbon which absorbs organically bound heavy metals and volatile hydrocarbons as well other VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Various types of filter media and configurations of these media also allows for the removal of dissolved heavy metals, and even the removal of pathogenic microbes. The insert is constructed to permit withdrawing periodically samples of water for analysis. Another embodiment permits controlled periodic inoculation of the filter media in situ with bioremediating microbes to prolong the life of the filter media.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method for removing contaminants from storm water passing into a storm drain, said drain having an open upper end, said method including the steps of:

(a) placing an insert into said drain wherein said insert comprises:
(i) a housing having walls which, when oriented to be substantially vertical, encloses a chamber with an open top end and open bottom end;
(ii) a bottom diffuser plate with an array of apertures;
(iii) means for supporting said bottom diffuser plate at said open bottom end of said housing such as to form a floor of said chamber;
(iv) means adapted for supporting said insert inside said storm drain such that water entering an open upper end of said storm drain passes into said upper open end of said insert and out said bottom end of said housing through said bottom diffuser plate;
(v) a plurality of bags, each bag of said plurality of bags containing a particulate filter medium of a plurality of filter media;
(vi) each one bag of plurality of bags made from material having a mesh size and said particulates having a mesh size selected to permit flow of water through one side of said each one bag, through said filter medium and out through an opposite side of said each one bag without substantial accumulation of water in said insert when said each one bag is positioned in said insert and such that said particulate filter medium is retained in said each one bag when water flows through one side of said each one bag, through said filter medium and out an opposite side of said each one bag;
(vii) each one bag positioned in said chamber when said insert is suspended in said drain, to form a vertical stack of bags with a lowest bag supported on said bottom diffuser plate whereby water containing contaminants entering at a top end of said storm drain enters said top end of said insert, passes through each one bag, one after the other and hence through said bottom diffuser plate into a bottom end of said storm drain;
(b) permitting water to pass into said top end and out of said bottom end of said insert.

6 more elements

In a storm drain having a rim around an upper open end, the improvement comprising a filter insert for placement within said storm drain to remove a plurality of pollutants from storm water, said filter insert comprising:

a housing having substantially vertical walls defining a chamber with an open top end and an open bottom end;
a bottom diffuser plate having a plurality of apertures therethrough;
means for supporting said bottom diffuser plate at said open bottom end thereby forming a floor of said chamber;
a top diffuser plate having an array of apertures therethrough such that water entering said storm drain is diffused over an entire horizontal cross-sectional area of said chamber, said top diffuser plate being removably positioned over said open top end of said chamber;
means for supporting said insert inside said storm drain such that water entering the upper open end of said storm drain passes through said top diffuser plate into said open top end of said chamber and out through the bottom end and said bottom diffuser plate;
and
a plurality of bags, each bag containing at least a particulate filter medium or a fibrous filter medium, each of said filter media being capable of removing a pollutant selected from a group consisting of hydrocarbons, heavy metals, break-through hydrocarbons, and volatile organic compounds, each of said bags and said filter media having a mesh size which will not substantially impede the flow of water through the insert, each of said bags being positioned in said chamber in a vertical stack such that water flows through the bags sequentially, a lowest bag being supported by the bottom diffuser plate, said bags in said stack being arranged such that filter media which are capable of removing pollutants which would poison any pollutant sensitive filter media being used are situated above said sensitive filter media in the stack in order to remove the pollutant before it poisons said pollutant sensitive filter media.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 08/767,592Filed 14 Dec 1996 · continuation in part
Priority: 20 Jun 1995
Granted: 13 Oct 1998
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

E03F 5/0404
Gullies for use in roads or pavements: with a permanent or temporary filtering device; Filtering devices specially adapted therefor
B01D 17/0202
Separation of non-miscible liquids: by ab- or adsorption
C02F 1/283
By sorption: using coal, charred products, or inorganic mixtures containing them
C02F 1/286
By sorption: using natural organic sorbents or derivatives thereof