Stormwater Management Inc. announces StormFilter installations in New Zealand

PORTLAND, Ore. Sept. 18, 2003 -- Stormwater Management Inc. announces the installation of The Stormwater Management StormFilter at a series of sites in New Zealand.

Since gaining approval from the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) as a "best practicable option" (BPO), the StormFilter has been installed at four new developments. StormFilter is the first proprietary filtering system to pass the water quality standards set by regulators in New Zealand, providing a cost-effective alternative to traditional, precast sand filter solutions.

Under New Zealand's Resource Management Act, the Auckland Regional Council is responsible for implementing a plan with strict and specific guidelines for stormwater quality. The plan specifies that approved treatment devices must remove 75 percent of total suspended sediment on a long-term average basis. In addition to the StormFilter, BPO approved practices include ponds, wetlands, swales, sand filters and rain gardens.

"We appreciate New Zealand's environmentally progressive climate and look forward to helping engineers meet goals for their water quality standards," said David Pollock, President & CEO of Stormwater Management Inc.

The StormFilter brings considerable benefit to New Zealand by providing a technically superior filtration system in a structure that is installed completely underground, saving significant real estate in urban or commercial applications. StormFilter's small footprint is also particularly important in New Zealand, where volcanic Basalt makes excavating expensive.

Ingal Environmental Services is the licensed distributor for Stormwater Management products in Australia and New Zealand. StormFilter installations include the Massey Albany University Campus, a commercial retail development, and two residential developments.

"The environmental engineering community in New Zealand is very receptive to StormFilter as it meets our water quality standards while actually reducing costs," said Brendon Poole, Group General Manger for Ingal Environmental Services. "The StormFilter is very economical when compared to other systems. StormFilter's ease of maintenance also saves significant costs over the life of the system."

Stormwater Management values New Zealand's stormwater needs and is pleased that the ARC recognizes StormFilter's ability to cost-effectively meet these standards.

"StormFilter is gaining recognition here," said Patrick O'Connor, general manager of Ingal Environmental Services' New Zealand office. "Not only does it capture the suspended solids, but it also filters harmful contaminants such as the hydrocarbons and heavy metals."

About StormFilter

A StormFilter system is typically comprised of a vault that houses rechargeable, media-filled filter cartridges. Stormwater from storm drains is percolated through these media-filled cartridges, which trap particulates and remove pollutants such as TSS, dissolved metals, nutrients, hydrocarbons, and trash and debris.

StormFilter allows developers to meet even the most stringent requirements in a cost-effective manner, combining high levels of pollutant removal with an easy-to-install system that is entirely underground, uses no additional land, and is simple to maintain normally on an annual basis. Stormwater Management also addresses the needs of engineers with full design support at no additional cost.

StormFilter is an engineered system, which can be designed to serve a wide variety of applications. StormFilter is offered in five basic configurations: precast concrete, steel or concrete catch basins, cast-in-place concrete and corrugated metal pipe. For more information on StormFilter, please visit www.stormwaterinc.com or call 800.548.4667.

About Stormwater Management Inc.

Headquartered in Portland, Ore., with regional offices throughout the U.S. as well as full coverage of Australia and New Zealand, Stormwater Management Inc. is the leading provider of highly effective and innovative products and services to the stormwater industry and industrial/remediation customers. Founded in 1995, the company is committed to research and development and is always working to find efficient and economical solutions to meet the requirements of national and local legislation, including the National Pollution Discharge Elimination Systems (NPDES). The company has an extensive product line including the StormScreen™, the StormGate Separator™, The Stormwater Management Electrocoagulation System, as well as the StormFilter. Stormwater Management also provides technical support in analyzing and developing solutions for site-specific stormwater runoff situations. For more information, visit www.stormwaterinc.com.