The Port of Port Townsend’s innovative stormwater mitigation efforts were recently profiled in the Port Townsend Jefferson County Leader. The project uses biochar, a by-product of Port Townsend Paper Corp’s combustion process that otherwise might go to landfills. The biochar is washed and used to assemble industrial-size water filters installed at Boat Haven.
Initial testing indicates that the filters can remove more than 99 percent of the zinc and 95 percent of copper that otherwise might be streamed into Port Townsend Bay through stormwater runoff.
The filtration system can be seen at several locations around Port buildings– two stacked cube-shaped containers (called “totes”) that filter water before the runoff goes into the Port’s underground stormwater system.
Visit the Leader’s website to read the article, which details the local partnerships between the Port, the Port Townsend Paper Company, and Jofran Enterprises that are making the project possible.
Pictured are (from left) Port Maintenance Manager Larry Aase, engineer and entrepreneur Francesco Tortorici and Al Cairns, Port environmental compliance officer. Photo by Scott Wilson, Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader