TAPE TESTING FACILITIES
Historically, the TAPE protocol has required evaluations be conducted at a field site within the Pacific Northwest. The Washington State Department of Ecology has begun to accept data from evaluations conducted at Ecology approved test facilities located throughout the country. To become approved, facility managers must submit an application and data package demonstrating evaluations done at their facility are representative of conditions in the Pacific Northwest. An example of application requirements include:
- Site pollutant concentration
- Climate and rainfall data
- Site hydraulic and flow data
- Site maintenance activities
There are currently three facilities that have been recognized or approved to date – Lake Union Ship Canal Test Facility (Seattle, WA), Stormwater Testing Technology Center (Portland, OR), and the University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center (Durham, NH). We are interested in growing this list so please contact the Washington Stormwater Center for more information or if you know of a facility that may be appropriate.
Lake Union Ship Canal
Seattle, WA
Carla Milesi (253) 254-7030 ext. 8004
The Lake Union Ship Canal site is located under the Interstate-5 bridge at the North end of Lake Union. This site, constructed as an ultra-urban stormwater research facility in 1996, is owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation but has been managed by Ecology since 2015. The facility receives runoff from approximately 32 acres – 23 acres of pavement and 9 acres of roadside landscaping. There are four testing bays, allowing for the simultaneous evaluation of four different technologies.
Stormwater Testing Technology Center
Portland, OR
John Lenth (206) 441-9080
The Stormwater Testing Technology Center was constructed by the Oregon Department of Transportation at their East Portland Maintenance Yard, near Interstate 205 and the Columbia Slough. The facility pulls stormwater from an 84-inch storm drain pipe that receives runoff from approximately 1,000 acres of high traffic highway and mixed urban land uses. With three testing bays, the facility has the ability to evaluate three technologies simultaneously. Flow to the technologies can be gravity flow, or pumped flow at rates of 10 to 125 gallons per minute.
University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center
Durham, NH
James Houle, CPSWQ (603) 767-7091
he University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center, located on the UNH campus in Durham, was constructed in 2004 to study stormwater-related water quality and quantity issues. The facility drains a 9-acre heavily used commuter parking lot. A distribution box just downstream of the parking lot allows for the simultaneous evaluation of 4 to 5 different technologies.
