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Updated: Jul 2, 2026
08:49
Vegetated Treatment Systems for Removing Contaminants Associated with Surface Water Toxicity in Agriculture and Urban Runoff
Published on: May 15, 2017
Nutrient and sediment removal by stormwater biofilters: a large-scale design optimisation study
K Bratieres1, T D Fletcher, A Deletic
1Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Victoria, 3800, Australia. katia.bratieres@eng.monash.edu.au
Water Research
|August 20, 2008
Summary
Stormwater biofilters effectively remove sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus. Optimal design includes specific vegetation like Carex appressa or Melaleuca ericifolia and sandy loam media for reliable water treatment.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Engineering
- Water Quality Management
- Ecological Engineering
Background:
- Stormwater runoff often pollutes waterways with sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
- Biofiltration systems are a promising nature-based solution for treating stormwater pollutants.
- Optimizing biofilter design is crucial for maximizing pollutant removal efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the performance of stormwater biofilters in removing key pollutants.
- To identify optimal design parameters for reliable and effective stormwater treatment.
- To provide guidance for the design of high-performing biofiltration systems.
Main Methods:
- A large-scale column study in Melbourne, Australia, using 125 columns.
- Testing various factors including plant species, filter media, depth, area, and inflow concentration.
- Monitoring the removal rates of sediment, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
Main Results:
- Vegetation selection significantly impacts nitrogen removal; Carex appressa and Melaleuca ericifolia showed superior performance.
- Phosphorus removal was consistently high (around 85%), but organic matter in media reduced effectiveness.
- Optimal biofilters achieved up to 70% nitrogen removal, 85% phosphorus removal, and over 95% suspended solids removal.
- An optimal design includes a sandy loam media, specific vegetation (C. appressa or M. ericifolia), and a minimum filter area of 2% of the catchment.
Conclusions:
- Optimally designed stormwater biofilters can reliably treat sediment and nutrient pollution.
- Specific plant species and filter media are critical for achieving high treatment performance.
- Further research is needed to assess long-term performance and effectiveness for other contaminants.
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