A hydraulic hose from an industrial crane on a waterfront development site ruptured
last summer, sending the hydraulic oil spill dangerously close to the lake’s shoreline.
Following standard procedure, a clean-up crew rushed to contain the spill. However,
despite their best efforts to clean up the spill as quickly as possible, oil still seeped into a
nearby storm drain.
The potential environmental and economic impacts from such a spill is extensive. In
addition to the high cost of cleaning marine oil spills, there may also be fines levied,
health concerns specific to drinking water and recreational use, and a prolonged impact
to waterfront businesses.
And it doesn’t take much. According to environmental experts, one liter of oil can
contaminate one million liters of water. Thankfully, the lake was never affected as a
result of the Stormceptor oil grit separator's installed the previous year working as designed, capturing
the dry weather spill. Because of the project’s expansive paved area, developers
installed nine Stormceptor units along the shoreline to capture pollutants transported in stormwater runoff during rainfall and
snowmelt, and provide spill protection.
The crane’s faulty hose also demonstrated the Stormceptor’s ability to capture and contain spills in both dry and wet weather.
A certified maintenance operator performed an inspection of the Stormceptor units shortly after the spill and confirmed the
hydraulic fluid was safely contained in one of the units. “This spill could have been a real black-eye on this development,” noted
the operator who arranged for licensed technicians to remove 50 litres of fluid. Without the Stormceptor unit in place, the cost
of the clean up could have easily exceeded $80,000.
“Thankfully, Stormceptor did its job,” said the area’s business manager. “The Stormceptor systems were installed to contain
stormwater pollutants, but their ability to contain spills also gives me and all the business owners peace of mind. This accident
proves we’re protected.”
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