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The Portland Bureau of Environmental Services has approved the use of an Ohio company’s stormwater treatment system to meet city requirements to filter runoff on Portland projects.

A BES staff evaluation and third party review by Portland State University’s engineering department determined that West Chester, Ohio-based Contech Engineered Solutions’ Filterra bioretention system meets pollution reduction requirements outlined in Portland’s Stormwater Management Manual. Approval of the product was finalized earlier this month and will last for three years.

The Filterra system collects runoff through a curb opening that flows into a specially designed planting media mix for filtering the stormwater that is contained in a landscaped concrete container, according to the Contech Engineered Solutions website. Once pollutants have been filtered out of the runoff, it flows into an underdrain system in the bottom of the container where the treated water is discharged.

Manufacturers like Contech can ask BES staff to evaluate stormwater treatment technologies to determine if the products meet city pollution reduction requirements. The city’s evaluation process uses criteria established by the Washington State Department of Ecology.