What are oil grit separators and filters?
Stormwater oil grit separators and filters are underground stormwater management devices that clean stormwater runoff. The City of Brampton has over 120 of these devices installed on City property, road right of ways, and parking lots.
Oil grit separators and filters help prevent pollution in local rivers and creeks by capturing pollution like oil and sediments. They clean stormwater by using gravity to remove heavy contaminants like sediments that fall to the bottom and oils that float to the top. Devices with filters use membrane filters to remove small contaminants.
Removing contaminants from oil grit separators and filters
Since 2018, the City has removed almost 450 cubic metres of contaminated sediment from the City’s oil grit separators and filters, which would have otherwise ended up in local rivers and creeks.
This amount of contaminated sediment could fill 220 pickup truck cargo beds.!
Maintaining oil grit separators and filters
Oil grit separators and filters hold a specific level of sediment and oil. Without maintenance sediments and oil can build up over time, and the device can become plugged. When a device becomes plugged the sediment and oil will flow untreated into the stormwater drainage system and pollute local rivers and creeks.
Regular inspections help determine when the device needs to be cleaned out or repaired.Oil grit separators need to be cleaned out so that they can continue to remove sediment and oil from stormwater. Routine cleanouts help remove the built-up contaminants so that the oil grit separator or filter can function effectively again.
