Development of a Self-Contained Electro-Flocculation Device to Achieve Stormwater Water Quality Goals

Goals of the Clean Water Act (CWA) included the protection and restoration of U.S. waters with deadlines that passed over 40 years ago. Today, over half of assessed U.S. waters remain too polluted to support their designated uses. Stormwater runoff carrying sediment and other pollutants is identified as a leading contributor to these impairments. Removal of sediment from stormwater by chemical flocculation has become an accepted best management practice in many areas. However, many state DOTs, regulators, and other environmental advocates are reluctant to allow the use of chemicals for stormwater treatment due to the known and unknown potential for associated negative environmental impacts. Chemical-free electrical flocculation for stormwater treatment was explored by Fagan Consulting LLC and Auburn University under a U.S. DOT SBIR Phase I contract and with supplemental funding provided by Innovate Alabama. The work resulted in the development of a full-scale electric floc generator and a significant advancement in stormwater management technology. Phase II efforts build on the work of Phase I to evaluate, verify, refine, and establish the CleanCurrent Floc Generator as a commercially available, chemical-free, portable, scalable, and cost-effective solution to effectively remove pollutants commonly found in stormwater runoff from construction sites and urban environments.