A cyclist pedals through floodwaters in Peterborough, Ontario. Hundreds of
residents were affected after torrential rains caused widespread flooding in
mid July of this year. CP Photo
On July 15th, 2004,
Peterborough, Ontario and
the surrounding areas were
inundated with approximately
200 mm (8 inches) of rainfall in just
a few hours. According to Gerry Rye,
the City Engineer for Peterborough,
“the July 15 flood was caused by a
very large storm, the likes of which
occur only once every 300 or more
years”.
People were forced out of their
homes and businesses, and the
stormwater and wastewater systems
were overwhelmed. With many
Stormceptor® units operating in the
Peterborough area, this major storm
event provided Stormceptor Canada
Inc. (SCI) an excellent opportunity to
evaluate the performance of its units
under extreme conditions, including
very high flows and floodwaters.
On July 22nd, 2004, Minotaur
Guardian Services Ltd. inspected 46
units in the Peterborough area.
Sediment levels in the treatment chambers
measured between 25 and 600
mm (1 to 24 inches), with an average
of about 175 mm (7 inches). This compares
to an average sediment level of
less than 150 mm (6 inches) in the
three to four months leading up to the
storm. “We knew the sediment levels
prior to the storm because most of the
units in the Peterborough area were
inspected in early spring 2004. We
anticipated a moderate increase in the
sediment levels during the interinspection
period and the results
matched our expectations,” said Tim
Patriquin, Division Manager for the
Stormceptor Group of Companies.
The Stormceptor System is an oil
sediment separator for storm drain systems.
The key advantage of this technology
is the patented high flow internal
bypass that prevents the re-suspension
and scouring of captured pollutants
during subsequent storm events.
Although extensive laboratory and
field testing have proven the effectiveness
of this system, the internal bypass
has rarely been evaluated under such
extreme field conditions. This analysis
provides further field support that
demonstrates the abililty of the system
to avoid scouring during intense rain
events.
