SCOTTSDALE, AZ, Sept. 12, 2007 -- AbTech Industries, makers of the Smart Sponge, a patented technology that effectively removes pollutants from stormwater, today announced the results from the Filter Project, a collaborative effort with the Long Island Soundkeeper, national businesses, nonprofit organizations, and local, state, and federal government officials to improve the City of Norwalk's stormwater management program. Results show that The Filter Project captured the equivalent of an oil spill of approximately 1,200 gallons and prevented it from entering the Long Island Sound.
"We are extremely pleased with these results," said Glenn Rink, President of AbTech Industries. "It is our hope that the ongoing commitment of The City of Norwalk and the Soundkeepers organization to maintain clean and safe waters for the surrounding communities will set an example for other communities across the nation," he concluded.
The Filter Project began as a natural outgrowth of the Soundkeeper's mission to protect the Sound's ecosystem coupled with Connecticut's commitment to clean up local waterways. The central component of the strategy involved fitting 275 catch basins in South Norwalk with AbTech Industries' Smart Sponge® Plus filtration system to catch trash, debris, animal waste, hydrocarbons, oil, grease and bacteria before they enter The Sound. The Smart Sponge technology is chemically selective to hydrocarbons, and permanently bonds them within the structure to prevent leaching or leaking of contaminants back into the environment. Once the hydrocarbons are absorbed, the Smart Sponge transforms the pollutants into easily removable solid waste. The system passes the EPA's Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP).
In addition, the Smart Sponge Plus material used in the stormwater catch basins contained an antimicrobial agent that has proven effective against a wide variety of microorganisms. It also acts as a fungi, static, odor, and mildew control.
"It is evident that The Filter Project has resulted in amazing protection against contaminants that would have otherwise entered the Long Island Sound," said Terry Backer, Executive Director of Soundkeepers. "This project will result in far reaching positive effects for the city of Norwalk and other municipalities around the country."
At a press conference announcing preliminary results for The Filter Project Connecticut Senator Joe Lieberman said, "This is $400,000 dollars of Federal money that I think has been remarkably well spent. I am going to see if we can't build on the results of this Norwalk test and take this project around the country and around the world."
AbTech Industries, based in Scottsdale, AZ, is a problem-solving company that provides customized clean water solutions to meet specific community and industry needs. To combat nonpoint source water pollution, AbTech developed the Smart Sponge, a patented technology that effectively removes pollutants from stormwater.
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