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HomeMy Public PortalAboutStormFilter Maintenance GuildeStormFilter Inspection and Maintenance Procedures ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS www.ContechES.com/stormfilter2 accumulation that may be caused by localized erosion in the drainage area. It may be necessary to adjust the inspection/ maintenance schedule depending on the actual operating conditions encountered by the system. In general, inspection activities can be conducted at any time, and maintenance should occur, if warranted, during dryer months in late summer to early fall. Frequency of Maintenance The primary factor for determining frequency of maintenance for the StormFilter is sediment loading. A properly functioning system will remove solids from water by trapping particulates in the porous structure of the filter media inside the cartridges. The flow through the system will naturally decrease as more and more particulates are trapped. Eventually the flow through the cartridges will be low enough to require replacement. It may be possible to extend the usable span of the cartridges by removing sediment from upstream trapping devices on a routine as-needed basis, in order to prevent material from being re-suspended and discharged to the StormFilter treatment system. The average maintenance lifecycle is approximately 1-3 years. Site conditions greatly influence maintenance requirements. StormFilter units located in areas with erosion or active construction may need to be inspected and maintained more often than those with fully stabilized surface conditions. Regulatory requirements or a chemical spill can shift maintenance timing as well. The maintenance frequency may be adjusted as additional monitoring information becomes available during the inspection program. Areas that develop known problems should be inspected more frequently than areas that demonstrate no problems, particularly after major storms. Ultimately, inspection and maintenance activities should be scheduled based on the historic records and characteristics of an individual StormFilter system or site. It is recommended that the site owner develop a database to properly manage StormFilter inspection and maintenance programs. Maintenance Guidelines The primary purpose of the Stormwater Management StormFilter® is to filter out and prevent pollutants from entering our waterways. Like any effective filtration system, periodically these pollutants must be removed to restore the StormFilter to its full efficiency and effectiveness. Maintenance requirements and frequency are dependent on the pollutant load characteristics of each site. Maintenance activities may be required in the event of a chemical spill or due to excessive sediment loading from site erosion or extreme storms. It is a good practice to inspect the system after major storm events. Maintenance Procedures Although there are many effective maintenance options, we believe the following procedure to be efficient, using common equipment and existing maintenance protocols. The following two-step procedure is recommended: 1. Inspection • Inspection of the vault interior to determine the need for maintenance. 2. Maintenance • Cartridge replacement • Sediment removal Timing for Inspection and Maintenance At least one scheduled inspection should take place per year with maintenance following as warranted. First, an inspection should be done before the winter season. During the inspection, the need for maintenance should be determined and, if disposal during maintenance will be required, samples of the accumulated sediments and media should be obtained. Second, if warranted, maintenance (replacement of the filter cartridges and removal of accumulated sediments) should be performed during periods of dry weather. In addition to these two activities, it is important to check the condition of the StormFilter unit after major storms for potential damage caused by high flows, as well as for high sediment www.ContechES.com/stormfilter 3 Inspection Procedures The primary goal of an inspection is to assess the condition of the cartridges relative to the level of visual sediment loading as it relates to decreased treatment capacity. It may be desirable to conduct this inspection during a storm to observe the relative flow through the filter cartridges. If the submerged cartridges are severely plugged, then typically large amounts of sediments will be present and very little flow will be discharged from the drainage pipes. If this is the case, then maintenance is warranted and the cartridges need to be replaced. • Warning: In the case of a spill, the worker should abort inspection activities until the proper guidance is obtained. Notify the local hazard control agency and Contech Engineered Solutions immediately. To conduct an inspection: • Important: Inspection should be performed by a person who is familiar with the operation and configuration of the StormFilter treatment unit. 1. If applicable, set up safety equipment to protect and notify surrounding vehicle and pedestrian traffic. 2. Visually inspect the external condition of the unit and take notes concerning defects/problems. 3. Open the access portals to the vault and allow the system vent. 4. Without entering the vault, visually inspect the inside of the unit, and note accumulations of liquids and solids. 5. Be sure to record the level of sediment build-up on the floor of the vault, in the forebay, and on top of the cartridges. If flow is occurring, note the flow of water per drainage pipe. Record all observations. Digital pictures are valuable for historical documentation. 6. Close and fasten the access portals. 7. Remove safety equipment. 8. If appropriate, make notes about the local drainage area relative to ongoing construction, erosion problems, or high loading of other materials to the system. 9. Discuss conditions that suggest maintenance and make decision as to whether or not maintenance is needed. Maintenance Decision Tree The need for maintenance is typically based on results of the inspection. The following Maintenance Decision Tree should be used as a general guide. (Other factors, such as Regulatory Requirements, may need to be considered) 1. Sediment loading on the vault floor. a. If >4” of accumulated sediment, maintenance is required. 2. Sediment loading on top of the cartridge. a. If >1/4” of accumulation, maintenance is required. 3. Submerged cartridges. a. If >4” of static water in the cartridge bay for more than 24 hours after end of rain event, maintenance is required. 4. Plugged media. a. If pore space between media granules is absent, maintenance is required. 5. Bypass condition. a. If inspection is conducted during an average rain fall event and StormFilter remains in bypass condition (water over the internal outlet baffle wall or submerged cartridges), maintenance is required. 6. Hazardous material release. a. If hazardous material release (automotive fluids or other) is reported, maintenance is required. 7. Pronounced scum line. a. If pronounced scum line (say ≥ 1/4” thick) is present above top cap, maintenance is required. 8. Calendar Lifecycle. a. If system has not been maintained for 3 years maintenance is required. www.ContechES.com/stormfilter4 Maintenance Depending on the configuration of the particular system, maintenance personnel will be required to enter the vault to perform the maintenance. • Important: If vault entry is required, OSHA rules for confined space entry must be followed. Filter cartridge replacement should occur during dry weather. It may be necessary to plug the filter inlet pipe if base flow is occurring. Replacement cartridges can be delivered to the site or to the customer’s facility. Replacement cartridges are available from Contech Engineered Solutions. • Warning: In the case of a spill, the maintenance personnel should abort maintenance activities until the proper guidance is obtained. Notify the local hazard control agency and Contech Engineered Solutions immediately. To conduct cartridge replacement and sediment removal maintenance: 1. If applicable, set up safety equipment to protect maintenance personnel and pedestrians from site hazards. 2. Visually inspect the external condition of the unit and take notes concerning defects/problems. 3. Open the doors (access portals) to the vault and allow the system to vent. 4. Without entering the vault, give the inside of the unit, including components, a general condition inspection. 5. Make notes about the external and internal condition of the vault. Give particular attention to recording the level of sediment build-up on the floor of the vault, in the forebay, and on top of the internal components. 6. Using appropriate equipment, offload the replacement cartridges (up to 150 lbs. each) and set aside. 7. Remove used cartridges from the vault using one of the following methods: Method 1: A. Maintenance personnel enter the vault to remove the cartridges from the under drain manifold and place them under the vault opening for lifting (removal). Unscrew (counterclockwise rotations) each filter cartridge from the underdrain connector. Roll the loose cartridge, on edge, to a convenient spot beneath the vault access. Using appropriate hoisting equipment, attach a cable from the boom, crane, or tripod to the loose cartridge. Contact Contech Engineered Solutions for suggested attachment devices. • Important: Note that cartridges containing leaf media (CSF) do not require unscrewing from their connectors. Take care not to damage the manifold connectors. This connector should remain installed in the manifold and could be capped during the maintenance activity to prevent sediments from entering the underdrain manifold. B. Remove the used cartridges (up to 250 lbs. each) from the vault. • Important: Care must be used to avoid damaging the cartridges during removal and installation. The cost of repairing components damaged during maintenance will be the responsibility of the owner unless Contech Engineered Solutions performs the maintenance activities and damage is not related to discharges to the system. C. Set the used cartridge aside or load onto the hauling truck. D. Continue steps a through c until all cartridges have been removed. Method 2: A. Enter the vault using appropriate confined space protocols. B. Unscrew the cartridge cap. C. Remove the cartridge hood screws (3) hood and float. D. At location under structure access, tip the cartridge on its side. www.ContechES.com/stormfilter 5 • Important: Note that cartridges containing media other than the leaf media require unscrewing from their threaded connectors. Take care not to damage the manifold connectors. This connector should remain installed in the manifold and capped if necessary. D. Empty the cartridge onto the vault floor. Reassemble the empty cartridge. E. Set the empty, used cartridge aside or load onto the hauling truck. F. Continue steps a through e until all cartridges have been removed. 8. Remove accumulated sediment from the floor of the vault and from the forebay. For convenience, this can be accomplished by use of a vacuum truck. 9. Once the sediments are removed, assess the condition of the vault and the condition of the connectors. The connectors are short sections of 2-inch schedule 40 PVC, or threaded schedule 80 PVC that should protrude about 1” above the floor of the vault. Lightly wash down the vault interior. a. If desired, apply a light coating of FDA approved silicon lube to the outside of the exposed portion of the connectors. This ensures a watertight connection between the cartridge and the drainage pipe. b. Replace any damaged connectors. 10. Using the vacuum truck boom, crane, or tripod, lower and install the new cartridges. Once again, take care not to damage connections. 11. Close and fasten the door. 12. Remove safety equipment. 13. Finally, dispose of the accumulated materials in accordance with applicable regulations. Make arrangements to return the used empty cartridges to Contech Engineered Solutions. www.ContechES.com/stormfilter6 Inspection Report Date: —————————————Personnel: ———————————————————————————————————— Location: ————————————System Size: ——————————————————————————————————— System Type: Vault Cast-In-Place Linear Catch Basin Manhole Other Sediment Thickness in Forebay: ——————————————————————————————————————————— Sediment Depth on Vault Floor: ——————————————————————————————————————————— Structural Damage: ———————————————————————————————————————————————— Estimated Flow from Drainage Pipes (if available): ———————————————————————————————————— Cartridges Submerged: Yes No Depth of Standing Water: —————————————————————— StormFilter Maintenance Activities (check off if done and give description) Trash and Debris Removal: ——————————————————————————————————————————— Minor Structural Repairs: ———————————————————————————————————————————— Drainage Area Report ————————————————————————————————————————————— Excessive Oil Loading: Yes No Source: ——————————————————————— Sediment Accumulation on Pavement: Yes No Source: ——————————————————————— Erosion of Landscaped Areas: Yes No Source: ——————————————————————— Items Needing Further Work: ———————————————————————————————————————————— Owners should contact the local public works department and inquire about how the department disposes of their street waste residuals. Other Comments: ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Date: www.ContechES.com/stormfilter 7 Review the condition reports from the previous inspection visits. StormFilter Maintenance Report Date: —————————————Personnel: ———————————————————————————————————— Location: ————————————System Size: ——————————————————————————————————— System Type: Vault Cast-In-Place Linear Catch Basin Manhole Other List Safety Procedures and Equipment Used: —————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— ————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— System Observations Months in Service: Oil in Forebay: Yes No Sediment Depth in Forebay: ————————————————————————————————————————————— Sediment Depth on Vault Floor: ——————————————————————————————————————————— Structural Damage: ———————————————————————————————————————————————— Drainage Area Report Excessive Oil Loading: Yes No Source: ————————————————————————— Sediment Accumulation on Pavement: Yes No Source: ————————————————————————— Erosion of Landscaped Areas: Yes No Source: ————————————————————————— StormFilter Cartridge Replacement Maintenance Activities Remove Trash and Debris: Yes No Details: —————————————————————————— Replace Cartridges: Yes No Details: —————————————————————————— Sediment Removed: Yes No Details: —————————————————————————— Quantity of Sediment Removed (estimate?): Minor Structural Repairs: Yes No Details: ————————————————————————— Residuals (debris, sediment) Disposal Methods: —————————————————————————————————————— Notes: —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— —————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Related Maintenance Activities - Performed on an as-needed basis StormFilter units are often just one of many structures in a more comprehensive stormwater drainage and treatment system. In order for maintenance of the StormFilter to be successful, it is imperative that all other components be properly maintained. The maintenance/repair of upstream facilities should be carried out prior to StormFilter maintenance activities. In addition to considering upstream facilities, it is also important to correct any problems identified in the drainage area. Drainage area concerns may include: erosion problems, heavy oil loading, and discharges of inappropriate materials. Material Disposal The accumulated sediment found in stormwater treatment and conveyance systems must be handled and disposed of in accordance with regulatory protocols. It is possible for sediments to contain measurable concentrations of heavy metals and organic chemicals (such as pesticides and petroleum products). Areas with the greatest potential for high pollutant loading include industrial areas and heavily traveled roads. Sediments and water must be disposed of in accordance with all applicable waste disposal regulations. When scheduling maintenance, consideration must be made for the disposal of solid and liquid wastes. This typically requires coordination with a local landfill for solid waste disposal. For liquid waste disposal, a number of options are available; including a municipal vacuum truck decant facility, local waste water treatment plant or on-site treatment and discharge. Support • Drawings and specifications are available at contechstormwater.com. • Site-specific design support is available from our engineers. ©2015 CONTECH ENGINEERED SOLUTIONS LLC. 800-338-1122 www.ContechES.com All Rights Reserved. Printed in the USA. Contech Engineered Solutions LLC provides site solutions for the civil engineering industry. Contech’s portfolio includes bridges, drainage, sanitary sewer, stormwater and earth stabilization products. For information on other Contech division offerings, visit contech-cpi.com or call 800.338.1122 The product(s) described may be protected by one or more of the following US patents: 5,322,629; 5,624,576; 5,707,527; 5,759,415; 5,788,848; 5,985,157; 6,027,639; 6,350,374; 6,406,218; 6,641,720; 6,511,595; 6,649,048; 6,991,114; 6,998,038; 7,186,058; related foreign patents or other patents pending. The Stormwater Management StormFilter, MFS and CDS are trademarks, registered trademarks, or licensed trademarks of Contech Engineered Solutions LLC. LEED is a registered trademark of the U.S. Green Building Council. StormFilter Inspection and Maintenance Procedures 01/15 NOTHING IN THIS CATALOG SHOULD BE CONSTRUED AS AN ExPRESSED wARRANTy OR AN IMPLIED wARRANTy OF MERCHANTABILITy OR FITNESS FOR ANy PARTICULAR PURPOSE. SEE THE CONTECH STANDARD CONDITIONS OF SALE (vIEwABLE AT www.CONTECHES.COM/COS) FOR MORE INFORMATION. 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