Hydraulic performance of biofilters for stormwater management: first lessons from both laboratory and field studies

In order to improve knowledge on stormwater biofiltration systems, the Facility for Advancing Water Biofiltration (FAWB) was created at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia. One of the aims of FAWB is to improve hydraulic performance of biofilters, given that there are numerous cases of infiltration devices failing after a few years of operation. Experiments were conducted in the field to evaluate the performance of existing systems, and in the lab to understand the factors that influence hydraulic behavior over time. The field experiments show that 43% of tested systems are below nominal Australian guidelines for hydraulic conductivity. The preliminary lab results show a decrease in hydraulic conductivity during the first weeks of operation (mu=66% reduction), although most remain within acceptable limits. Influences of the size of the biofilter relative to its catchment and the importance of the type of media, on the evolution of hydraulic conductivity, are examined.