Under a pilot programme, a designated outfall pipe will be outfitted with the Smart Sponge Plus anti-microbial storm water treatment technology. It removes pollutants, such as sediment, nutrients, pathogens, petroleum compounds and floatable debris from the storm water before it exits the outfall pipe. Additional outfall pipes will be outfitted as funds become available.
“Storm water runoff is public enemy number one with regard to the quality of our waterways, fishing areas and beaches,” said county executive, Edward P Mangano. “This new initiative is a major step forward in protecting our environment as it helps remove debris and other pollutants before they enter our waterways, accumulate on our beaches and harm marine life.”
AbTech Industries won the right to perform this storm water infrastructure work through a competitive bidding process. The company is also upgrading storm water outfalls in the same region to strengthen infrastructure, add resiliency, reduce beach contamination, and engineer outfalls to mitigate backflow and reduce flooding.
