Watershed runoff drainage device & method

Abstract

A watershed runoff drainage device is adapted to be used with a drain inlet vault for a storm drain. It includes a funnel member to be inserted into an inlet of the vault for directing substantially all water runoff entering the vault to flow there through prior to entering the vault. A floating hydrocarbon collector is positioned inside or outside the funnel member, and deflectors and other means within the vault inhibit the growth of mosquito larvae and the like within the vault and inhibit any mosquitoes within the vault from escaping the vault.

Description

RELATED PATENT APPLICATIONS & INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE [0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60 / 563,862, entitled “Watershed Runoff drainage Device & method,” filed Apr. 20, 2004. This related application is incorporated herein by reference and made a part of this application. If any conflict arises between the disclosure of the invention in this utility application and that in the related provisional application, the disclosure in this utility application shall govern. Moreover, the inventors incorporate herein by reference any and all U.S. patents, U.S. patent applications, and other documents, hard copy or electronic, cited or referred to in this application.DEFINITIONS [0002] The words “comprising,”“having,”“containing,” and “including,” and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaus...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] In bottom-exit vaults the storm water drainage device produces temporarily standing water for more efficient gravity separation and then eliminates the standing water (once rainfall and storm water runoff has slowed sufficiently) in a short enough time to prevent flying mosquito development, even if eggs, larvae or pupae are washed into the drain inlet vault with watershed runoff. In side-exit vaults having permanently standing water, the device may utilize movable floating closures that move with the water surface level to prevent mosquito ingress / egress, or, in some cases, pumps for automatic water removal. This invention enables the capture, detention, removal and disposal of contaminants contained in watershed runoff entering inlet vaults in which such devices have been installed to ensure compliance with environmental regulations. These functions are achieved most efficiently through the use of gravity separation to enable filtration of entrained suspended solids and media collection of metals and floatable hydrocarbons, while at the same time preventing mosquito development in the standing water by automatically removing standing water once rainfall and storm water runoff have ceased, or by providing means to prevent ingress / egress of flying mosquitoes. As the result of an accidental spill, hydrocarbon liquids such as, for example, gasoline, diesel fuel and motor oil, may flow into the inlet of the drain inlet vault. This invention prevents hydrocarbon liquids from such spills from by-passing the watershed drainage device of this invention and directly entering the inlet vault, or from exiting the drain inlet vault via the standing water removal pathway of the drainage device.

[0008] This invention provides for maximum possible collection of settled TSS within a given inlet vault. Further, it provides for maximum collection / removal of dissolved metals and TOG from storm water runoff entrained in the influent water. It enables disposal of collected TOG in a Class-A landfill to be possible, while, at the same time preventing spilled hydrocarbon-based liquids from by-passing the inlet vault or exiting the drain inlet vault by following the mosquito prevention water removal pathway. This invention also includes methods for inspection, determination of need for, and accomplishment of cleanout and disposal of captured contaminants from inlet vaults using the storm water drainage devices of this invention. This enables property developers to use this invention to remain functionally compliant with governmental environmental regulations throughout the life of their land development project. This invention has one or more features as discussed subsequently herein. After reading the following section entitled “DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THIS INVENTION,” one will understand how the features of this invention provide its benefits, which include, but are not limited to: (1) improving the efficiency of detention and capture of contaminants contained in watershed runoff which would otherwise pass though a drain inlet vault and into the storm drain system, (2) preventing the release of flying mosquitoes from such drain inlet vaults, and (3) preventing spills of hydrocarbon-based liquids from passing through drain inlet vaults and entering the storm drain system.

[0020] This invention also includes a method of treating water runoff from a watershed as it flows through a drain inlet vault in communication with a storm drain. This method involves removing suspended solids and removing hydrocarbons from the water runoff. It does this in a fashion that avoids or minimizes mosquito growth. The method includes the steps of

Problems solved by technology

Devices are generally available to satisfy the requirements for trash discharge control, but control of smaller, more complex suspended solids, hydrocarbon-based contaminants and dissolved metals require equipment that is more complex and expensive .

These inserts are efficient for trash removal but not necessarily for TSS or TOG, but they are less expensive, readily available, and standards for acceptability of such BMP's have not yet been promulgated or adopted.

Providing these characteristics is not only more expensive, but also introduces an additional problem which is beginning to further limit use of the most efficient drain inlet insert devices, such as the Hydro-Cartridge (U.S. Pat. No. 5,297,367).

Namely, the problem of standing water that provides an environment for mosquito growth.

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