Catch Basin Filter Inserts Aid Green Infrastructure Efforts

Efforts to stop contaminated storm water from running into New York’s waters are gaining strength. Community organizations working to improve water quality on Long Island researched various best management practices for storm water management and learned about Fabco Industries, a Long Island storm water filter technology company. Partnering with these groups and local governments, Fabco has installed almost 3,000 catch basin filter inserts in an ongoing, large-scale storm water retrofit project in Nassau County.

In Suffolk County, the villages of Patchogue and Lindenhurst and the town of Islip installed Fabco filter inserts as demonstration projects to prevent storm water contaminants from entering local surface waters, including local lakes, streams and Great South Bay. “Patchogue signed on with Fabco filters because they allow water to pass through after collecting debris, which prevents clogging,” said Joseph P. Dean, Patchogue Public Works superintendent.

Retrofitting drainage systems with catch basin filter inserts also is compatible with emerging green infrastructure principles. This decentralized approach treats storm water closer to the source, utilizes existing infrastructure and filters storm water through engineered media. Fabco filtration technology is being deployed upstream of green infrastructure projects in cities like Syracuse, N.Y., where combined sewer overflows are
being addressed.

“Fabco plays an integral role in treating storm water before it enters subsurface infiltration strips,” said Zack Knight, engineer with CH2M HILL, working on Onondaga County’s Green Infrastructure program. “With the application of green infrastructure projects on the rise, use of catch basin insert filters will dramatically improve performance and lifespan of these systems.”

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