A catch basin filter is a drop-in treatment insert placed inside a standard stormwater catch basin to capture hydrocarbons, heavy metals, nutrients, and other priority contaminants before runoff reaches receiving waters. Abtech Industries supplies Ultra-Urban® Filter inserts loaded with Smart
A catch basin filter is a drop-in insert that treats stormwater at the point of collection — inside the basin itself — capturing hydrocarbons, heavy metals, nutrients, and other priority contaminants before they reach receiving waters. Abtech Industries designs and supplies Ultra-Urban® Filter inserts loaded with proprietary Smart Sponge® media, giving municipalities, transportation departments, airports, and marine operators a passive, high-flow filtration solution that fits directly into existing catch basin infrastructure without pumps, power, or major construction.
What Does a Catch Basin Filter Actually Do?
Every paved catchment — a parking lot, a highway shoulder, an airport apron, a marina deck — sheds a complex mix of pollutants when it rains. Oil and fuel residue, dissolved metals from brake dust and galvanized surfaces, nutrients from landscaping, and debris all travel with runoff into the storm drain network. A catch basin sits at the point where that runoff enters the underground system, making it the most practical interception point before discharge.
A catch basin filter insert sits inside that basin and intercepts the water column as it flows through. Unlike sediment sumps that only settle out coarse particles, a media-based insert like the Ultra-Urban® Filter targets dissolved and emulsified contaminants — the ones that pass straight through a simple screen or sump and end up in permit violation reports. The insert treats the flow passively: no electricity, no mechanical components, no operator intervention during each storm event.
How Does the Ultra-Urban® Filter Insert Work?
The Ultra-Urban® Filter insert is sized to fit standard catch basin openings and drops into place without modifying the existing structure. Inside the insert, Smart Sponge® media performs the treatment. Smart Sponge® is a hydrophobic, oil-loving media engineered to permanently bind hydrocarbons into a stable solid on contact — the media does not release captured oil back into the water column, and it does not require mechanical wringing, washing, or active regeneration between storm events.
Because the media is highly permeable, stormwater passes through at high flow rates — up to 40 GPM per square foot — while generating less than 1 PSI of back pressure. That combination keeps the basin draining at design capacity during heavy storm events, preventing bypass and the permit exceedances that come with it. The media formulation can be selected and combined to address multiple contaminant targets within a single insert, including PFAS, heavy metals, bacteria, and nutrients alongside hydrocarbons.
Which Contaminants Does Smart Sponge® Target in a Catch Basin?
• Hydrocarbons — motor oil, fuel, and petroleum sheen from paved surfaces and fueling areas • Heavy metals — dissolved metals including those from vehicle brake dust and galvanized infrastructure • PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances present in airfield and industrial runoff • Nutrients — nitrogen and phosphorus compounds that contribute to downstream eutrophication • Bacteria — biological contaminants targeted by select Smart Sponge® media configurations • Trash and debris — captured by the insert housing before reaching the outfall
The specific media configuration for each site is selected based on the contaminant profile, flow conditions, and discharge permit requirements. Abtech evaluates site conditions before recommending a media combination, rather than applying a single standard formulation to every application.
Who Uses Catch Basin Filter Inserts?
Catch basin filter inserts serve any operator managing paved catchments under a stormwater permit. The most common applications include:
• Municipalities managing MS4 permit obligations across storm drain networks with minimal crew maintenance • Departments of transportation treating highway and road runoff for NPDES compliance • Airports treating deicing-season runoff across paved airfield catchments to cut hydrocarbon and metal loads before discharge • Marinas and ports treating deck drain runoff and capturing fuel sheen around fueling docks and slips • Commercial port operators managing stormwater from large paved terminal areas under environmental permits
For marine operators, the Ultra-Urban® Filter insert at deck drains works alongside Smart Sponge® floating booms deployed around slips and fueling docks. The booms capture sheen at the water surface while the inserts treat runoff before it enters the basin — providing layered protection at sites where both pathways carry contaminants.
How Does a Catch Basin Filter Support MS4 and NPDES Compliance?
MS4 and NPDES permits require measurable pollutant reduction at discharge points — inspectors expect documented treatment, not just best-management-practice intentions. A media-based catch basin filter insert provides treatment at the source, capturing priority pollutants before they enter the collection system and travel to the outfall. Because the Ultra-Urban® Filter operates passively and fits into existing basins, it can be deployed across a permit area without major capital expenditure or construction disruption.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will a catch basin filter insert fit my existing basins without modification?
Ultra-Urban® Filter inserts are designed to drop into standard catch basin openings. No structural modification, pumps, or power connections are required. Abtech reviews site conditions and basin dimensions during the site assessment process to confirm fit and select the appropriate insert configuration before deployment.
How does Smart Sponge® media handle high-flow storm events without flooding the basin?
Smart Sponge® media is engineered for high-flow passive filtration, passing water at up to 40 GPM per square foot with less than 1 PSI of back pressure. This keeps the basin draining at or near its design capacity during storm events, reducing the risk of bypass that would send untreated runoff directly to the outfall.
Does the media need to be cleaned or regenerated after capturing hydrocarbons?
No. Smart Sponge® media permanently binds hydrocarbons into a stable solid. The media does not release captured oil back into the water column and does not require mechanical wringing, washing, or active regeneration between storm events. Maintenance involves periodic inspection and media replacement based on site-specific loading conditions.
Can a single catch basin insert target multiple contaminants at once?
Yes. Smart Sponge® media can be selected and combined within a single Ultra-Urban® Filter insert to address multiple treatment objectives — for example, targeting hydrocarbons, heavy metals, and PFAS simultaneously. The specific combination is determined during the site assessment based on the contaminant profile and permit requirements at the site.
How do I get started with a catch basin filter evaluation for my site?
Share your site conditions, contaminants, treatment goals, or project plans with Abtech's team. The team can evaluate the application, select the appropriate media, and determine whether a pilot program is needed before full-scale deployment. A member of the team will respond within one business day.