Eastpoint Gets New Stormwater Treatment System

Water quality and aquatic habitat are expected to benefit from a new stormwater treatment system completed Friday on St. George Sound.

Stormwater that once discharged untreated directly to the bay will now flow through eight baffle boxes placed along U.S. 98 in Eastpoint. The systemdesigned by the Northwest Florida Water Management Districtwill reduce debris, suspended solids, heavy metals and other contaminants from a 1,049-acre drainage area, bounded by Avenue A, Old Ferry Road and 10th Street.

"The district has demonstrated the value of community water resources by constructing treatment systems in an area where there is little space to capture and filter flows," said Douglas E. Barr, executive director.

The concrete boxes contain chambers separated by baffles, as well as a filtration screen system and skimmers to capture floating hydrocarbons. As stormwater passes through the baffles, flow velocity decreases, allowing particles to settle to the bottom of the box. Larger particles usually settle first and accumulate in the first chamber while smaller particles usually settle out in subsequent chambers.

 "There will be less pollution from stormwater runoff entering the bay, which will have long-term benefits for the aquatic habitat," said Nick Wooten, chief of the District's Surface Water Bureau. Runoff from roadways, gas stations commercial properties and residential areas will be treated by these vaults.

"The vaults have been shown to remove 500 to 50,000 pounds of sediment per month, depending on sediment load, season and rainfall," said John B. Crowe, district associate hydrologist. "The percentage of pollutants removed depends on land use, drainage area, soil types, stormwater velocities and frequency and thoroughness of box cleaning."

The retrofit project was funded through $294,000 from the Surface Water Management and Improvement program, and $251,000 from Environmental Protection Agency 319 grant funds. The installation coincided this summer with a Florida Department of Transportation improvement placing linked block mats beneath the US 98 shoreline to improve storm surge resilience.