Storm drain filter that captures road-salt ions at discharge
This technology is a reusable filtration device that removes the harmful salt ions left behind in water runoff after roads and sidewalks are treated with deicing salts. The device works by passing contaminated water through a porous housing filled with a material that chemically binds to those salt ions, pulling them out of the water. Critically, the device can be recharged and reused multiple times, which addresses the cost and waste concerns of single-use treatment approaches. The method targets the specific ion types introduced by common road deicing products, such as chloride and sodium, rather than general water contaminants.
What you could build
A point-of-discharge filtration unit installed in storm drains, catch basins, or municipal stormwater systems to capture salt ions before they enter waterways; primary buyers would be municipal public works departments, highway departments, and large property managers in snow-belt regions.
Who in Virginia should care
Virginia DOT and Northern Virginia municipalities dealing with stormwater compliance and Chesapeake Bay nutrient/salt loading regulations would be natural early contacts.
Readiness: Concept
Concept — described but not yet demonstrated. Lab validated — supported by experimental results in the patent. Prototype likely — the text describes a built, working embodiment.
Readiness is inferred from the patent text, not from a lab visit.
The record
- Inventors
- Gregory E. Welbaum, Austin Dylan King
- Filed
- Patent pending — filed May 8, 2023
- Status
- Application
- Publication number
- US20230357055A1
Ready to talk?
Virginia Tech Intellectual Properties handles licensing for this technology.
Prosim summaries are generated from public patent text and are not legal advice.