Treatment of parking lot stormwater using a StormTreat system

The effectiveness of a StormTreat system in treating stormwater from a commercial parking lot in Connecticut was evaluated. Flow-weighted composite samples were collected from StormTreat inflow and outflow during a 2-yr study. Bypass flow was not monitored. The StormTreat significantly (P < 0.05) reduced total suspended solids, total phosphorus, total Kjeldahl-N, total zinc, total copper, and fecal coliform bacteria on a concentration basis. The StormTreat system retained 49% total suspended solids, 74% total phosphorus, 44% total Kjeldahl-N, 45% total zinc, 29% total copper, 2% total lead on a mass basis, and 99% fecal coliform on a concentration basis. Treatment efficiency was not associated with storm size, chamber stage, discharge rate, or hydraulic retention time (r < 0.355). The system retained ammonia-N more efficiently during the summer than during the winter (P < 0.01) and retained total zinc less efficiently during the summer than during the winter (P < 0.05). Season did not significantly (P > 0.05) affect the treatment of other monitored water quality variables. The StormTreat system reduced the concentrations of stormwater pollutants commonly found in parking lot runoff.