Ocean Protect are excited to announce that we now manufacture and supply ‘sandy loam’ filter media for ‘conventional’ biofiltration systems. This further enhances Ocean Protect’s ability to help our clients achieve best practice Water Sensitive Urban Design and help better protect our oceans.
“Ocean Protect have over twenty years’ experience in manufacturing filter media for StormFilter® technologies, experimenting with a range of different media innovations to target a range of stormwater pollutants and specific contaminants. Over the last eight years, we’ve applied this experience and expertise to the manufacturing of Filterra® filter media – to provide a complete turn-key service in the design, installation, establishment and management of Filterra® biofiltration systems. This expertise and experience will now be extended to manufacture and supply ‘sandy loam’ filter media for conventional biofiltration systems across Australia.”
Michael Wicks, Director, Ocean Protect
Biofiltration systems (also called ‘bioretention’ and ‘rain gardens’) are one of the most popular stormwater treatment asset types within Australia given their flexible design, space efficiency and applicability to a variety of scales. The ‘filter media’ is critical to the performance of biofiltration systems – including their ability to protect downstream waterway health and ensure the successful establishment and survival of plants within the biofiltration system. However, industry suppliers are often unable to supply filter media that conforms with necessary specifications, such as those given by Blacktown City Council, CRC for Water Sensitive Cities, and Water by Design. Many certifying authorities and local governments also rely on bulk test certificates which may not give an accurate representation of the biofiltration media for a specific project.
“The Quality Assurance and Quality Control processes that we apply to manufacture biofiltration filter media are far more extensive and stringent than anything ever applied within Australia for conventional biofiltration systems. However, this is essential to ensure that given filter media specifications are achieved for each biofiltration system, to help achieve its design function and protect the health of our waterways.”
Blake Allingham, R&D Project Engineer, Ocean Protect
Ocean Protect will continue to provide a complete turn-key solution for the design, installation, establishment and management of Filterra® biofiltration systems. For clients simply requiring an appropriate ‘sandy loam’ biofiltration filter media (that complies with local specifications), Ocean Protect can now supply this filter media.
“The wide diversity of built environments in Australia mean that best practice water sensitive urban design requires a range of potential solutions – including biofiltration systems, gross pollutant traps, gully pit inserts, and media cartridges. Ocean Protect’s increased ability to help provide a diversity of solutions further assists our clients achieve best practice Water Sensitive Urban Design and help better protect our oceans and waterways.”
Brad Dalrymple, Principal Environmental Engineer, Ocean Protect