Case Study:
Enhancing Water Quality in Long Beach, CA
Challenge
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Develop an economically effective stormwater program to improve water quality and pollutant discharge to the Colorado Lagoon and Los Angeles River at a minimal stormwater infrastructure cost.
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Reduce the number of beach closures by reducing bacteria levels coming from urban discharge.
Solution
Installation of 1,900 Ultra-Urban® Filters with Smart Sponge® Plus media into 500 storm drains to address water quality issues. The Ultra-Urban® Filters were manufactured and filled with an antimicrobial filter media that was created to mitigate for common bacteria strains found in urban runoff.
Results
A three-year study revealed 90,000 pounds of debris and 25,000 pounds of hydrocarbons were prevented from entering nearby waterbodies by use of this device. Smart Sponge® Plus media was found to substantially reduce bacteria counts near beaches and has been granted US EPA and California Department of Pesticide Regulation Certification for safe use and efficacy claims. (test data available upon request).