West Union Street Biofiltration Boxes

West Union Street Biofiltration Boxes. .

"The river flows not past, but through us." , -John Muir

, The beauty of Athen the derives and contaminating the ery, culling hills, and flowing waterways. Imagine its river, the Hocking, polluted with trash and chemicals, littering the banks and contaminating the surrounding land. To eliminate this image from becoming a reality, pollution in stormwater must be addressed. Stormwater runoff is the result of a heavy rainfall snowmelt, and it can cause severe damage if not managed. Runoff that is fouled with garbage and other pollutants can contaminate streams and rivers. Excessive runoff can also lead to flooding., In 2014, the West Union Sustainable Stormwater Interceptor Enhancement Project was initiated to address stormwater quantity and quality. Within this initiative, biofiltration boxes were installed to reduce the amount of stormwater, improve the quality of stormwater, and demonstrate innovative stormwater control techniques. A biofiltration box is a specially designed trench within the ground, used to collect stormwater from nearby sidewalks, streets, and parking lots. Stormwater flows into the "box" and held there until it can slowly absorb into the soil, providing water to plants. Any excess runoff drains into the storm sewer. These boxes provide a natural filtration process for stormwater, greatly improving its quality. Four boxes were installed along a section of West Union Street, each topped by flowering plants., Also part of the project was the installation of a manufactured Hydrodynamic Water Quality System to treat approximately 136 acres of stormwater from the west side of the City that drains into Oxbow Creek. The system is designed to remove sand, road grit, trash, and oil from the runoff before it is released into a tributary of Oxbow Creek. Stormwater flows from the storm sewer into a buried tank where the water is swirled. During this process, the heavy particles drop to the bottom of the tank and the now-filtered water is discharged. The tank is then pumped to remove the particles., A third tier to this undertaking was the Stream Restoration Project, which was completed to reclaim an Oxbow Creek tributary, as well as to create a riparian area to further enhance water quality and increase habitat diversity of wildlife while decreasing invasive plants.