Evaluation of solids removal and optimisation of backwashing for an upflow stormwater filtration system utilising novel floating fibrous media

Although filtration devices are already widely used for stormwater runoff treatment, there are much to be improved to ensure the required performance. Additionally, the performance of a device should be verified before on-site installation. In this context, an upflow filtration system using novel high porosity floating fibrous media formed into spherical shape was proposed and evaluated for solid capture and backwashing. At filtration velocities of 20–40 m/h, the maximum head loss was about 2 cm even under a solid load of 30 kg/m², and suspended solid (SS) removal efficiency was >96% throughout 300 min. A considerable amount of SS was removed in the pretreatment chamber, so the load on the media was reduced. Several models were tried to describe the solid capture in the media. The coefficients of solid attachment/detachment showed good correlations with filtration velocity. Other parameters indicated a variation of solid capture and permeability, which is unique to the media in this study. The backwashing with air and water for 1–2 min each showed good head loss recovery under the SS load up to 550–600 kg/m², and the SS discharge was more efficient when the stagnant water was drained before water backwashing. The results in this study suggest the high potential of the combination of fibrous media and upflow filtration system for the efficient control of the nonpoint source pollutants in stormwater runoff.