Abstract
Appropriate removal of pollutants from combined sewer overflows(CSOs) and stormwater runoff is of primary concern to watershed managers trying to meet water quality standards even under a wet weather condition. Harmful substances associated with particles besides TSS and BOD are subjected to removal prior to discharge into the natural waters. Effectiveness of five major hydrodynamic separation technologies, Vortechs, Downstream Defender including Storm King for CSOs control, CDS, Stormceptor, and IHS, were evaluated in this study. There is not sufficient information for accurate evaluation of the removal efficiency for the pollutants from the stormwater runoff and CSOs. Based upon limited engineering data, however, all technologies were found to be effective in separation of heavy particles and floating solids. Technologies utilizing screens seem to have advantage in the treatment capacity than the other technologies relied fully on hydrodynamic behavior. The IHS system seems to have a strong potential in application for control of CSOs because of unique hydrodynamic behavior as well as a flexibility in opening size of the screens. Size of the particulate matter in the CSOs and stormwater runoff is found to be the most important parameter in selection of the type of the hydrodynamic separators. There exists an upper limit in the solids removal efficiency of a hydrodynamic separator, which is strongly dependent upon the particle size distribution of the CSOs and stormwater runoff.