Industrial stormwater treatment

What is industrial stormwater?

Industrial stormwater is any surface water runoff that derives from an industrial business or facility.

The industrial sector covers everything from metals processing to vegetable canning, and from pharmaceuticals to recycling, but also includes facilities such as ports and distribution depots. 

Why is industrial stormwater significant?

The byproducts of various manufacturing practices can be sources of damaging or hazardous waste that, left untreated can cause significant harm to the ecosystems of receiving water bodies of water. The type and concentration of pollutants contained within a facility’s stormwater can vary greatly from site to site.

Each site’s stormwater is a unique cocktail of pollutants and must be treated as a whole to achieve the best outcome in removing any one, particular pollutant.

What pollutants are found in industrial stormwater?

In addition to the pollutants that are found in all built environments such as sand, grit and other solids (often referred to as TSS, or Total Suspended Solids), industrial businesses present potential sources of more hazardous pollutants. 

Examples of industrial stormwater pollution:

  • Heavy metals (zinc, iron, lead, aluminum, mercury)
  • Hydrocarbons (oil, petrol)
  • BOD (biochemical oxygen demand) (nutrients, organic matter)
  • Chemicals (pesticides, solvents, polymers)
  • TSS (grit, sand, inorganic matter)

The exact nature of the pollution present in industrial surface water runoff will depend on the type of business and its operations.

Businesses will benefit from undertaking a stormwater analysis to determine the nature of their pollution risk. 

How is industrial stormwater pollution regulated?

In the European Union, water quality is governed by the EU Water Framework Directive. Implemented at a national level by EU member states, it provides a legislative framework aimed at reducing pollution to and managing the quality of water, including groundwater. Industrial businesses that discharge liquid effluent or waste water typically require an environmental permit

In the United States, industrial facilities that discharge stormwater directly into the natural environment must obtain a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. In most cases these permits are issued by state environmental protection agencies under the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

The NPDES permit imposes limits on what pollution can be discharged, and at what levels, and requires businesses to monitor and report on discharge. If a facility breaches its discharge limits it may face financial and legal penalties, brought either by the EPA and equivalent state agencies or by the general public. 

How can we reduce industrial stormwater pollution?

There are only two ways to reduce the amount of water pollution that is discharged by an industrial facility: prevention and capture.

1. Prevent pollutants from entering surface water

The first way to reduce industrial stormwater pollution is by preventing pollutants from entering surface water. This may be achieved through better storage of potential pollutant materials, and through improved flood protection measures. 

However, it is unlikely that it will be possible to prevent all pollutants from entering surface water. Low-level leakage, contamination by people or vehicles or accidental spillages mean that there is always a risk that pollutants will be present on surfaces exposed to stormwater. 

2. Capture surface water pollutants before they are discharged

As it is unlikely to be possible to remove all risk of surface water pollution, businesses should assume that there will be a persistent low level of discharge as well as an unavoidable possibility of unintended larger discharges.

In order to protect the environment and mitigate against legal and financial penalties they should put in place safety measures to capture these pollutants. 

Stormwater separators and filters provide a reliable safety net that catches harmful pollutants before they are able to reach a sewer network or the natural environment. Properly maintained, they provide peace of mind to industrial facilities and can help to reduce surcharges and reduce the company's exposure to penalties. 


Visit the industrial microsite

Visit our dedicated microsite to learn more about how we can help industrial businesses to improve profitability, reduce downtime and meet regulations.


Up-Flo® Filter

Capture sediment, oils, heavy metals and nutrients from stormwater.

Downstream Defender® Select

Capture sediment, oils and floatables from stormwater runoff.

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