FAQ

DuraWattle is designed to trap sediment and reduce overall TSS in stormwater runoff. It is NOT designed to filter hydrocarbons or dissolved metals. DuraWattle will need to be augmented by a different BMP in applications where hydrocarbons or dissolved metals are an issue.

DuraWattle is designed to be driven over by heavy equipment and maintain its barrier height for 3-5 years in typical conditions. While more frequent traffic from heavy machinery may shorten this lifespan of the product, DuraWattle has been used in high traffic conditions and remained effective. At the Red Lion Hotel Demolition (Terminal 1 Port of Vancouver USA, WA), DuraWattle was installed for over a month and was driven over multiple times by two large trucks and three excavators each day. It did not require replacement or maintenance during the life of the project.

Please see our DuraWattle installation page for full details on soil or hard surface installation.

• Soil installation
  • In applications with little cutback, a 3in deep trench is dug inside the work area. The tail section of the DuraWattle is placed in the trench, folded over itself, and nailed down with provided nails every four feet and at each section junction. The core of the DuraWattle is not placed in the trench or secured directly with a pin. Instead, the core is placed around the perimeter of the site with the tail in the trench and the tail is pinned. A mark is made with spray paint on the core section above each nail for easy locating during removal. Soil is backfilled over the tail.
• In hard surface applications such as asphalt:
  • First, the installation surface is cleared of any debris. Then the tail is placed inside the work area and folded over itself. The tail is secured with a steel strip or wood plank that has been predrilled with holes every four feet. We recommend using steel for heavy traffic applications. A rotary hammer and masonry bit is used to drill pilot holes into the asphalt. Then an impact driver is used to secure the tail section by driving 2 3/4” concrete screw anchors through the steel strip, tail section, and the asphalt.

DuraWattle has a plastic sealed inner foam core. It does not absorb water when filtering sediment. The core is there to provide a barrier to block built up sediment as water is filtered. Water passes through the high-flow mono-filament filter fabric at the base of the barrier and flows around the non-permeable plastic sealed inner foam core.

DuraWattle does not absorb sediment laden water so it does not have a “filtering capacity” like compost socks or fiber rolls. It can be cleared of built up sediment with a shovel after each rain event. In both hard surface and soil applications, DuraWattle is easily removed without damaging the core or tail section. The product can last 3-5 years in typical conditions (without heavy vehicles operating on top of the installed product).

• Before first use, a bundle of 300ft of DuraWattle can fit in the back of a pickup truck. These bundles are light enough to be moved by hand when necessary.
• After first use (and inflation) the product takes up more room because of the increased volume of the core. However, DuraWattle is still lightweight and, when properly bundled, can be transported easily to new work areas.

DuraWattle comes standard in 12ft sections. 18ft and 6ft sections have been custom made on request for unique situations.

DuraWattle lasts 3-5 years in typical conditions. DuraWattle is designed to be driven over, however, more frequent traffic from heavy machinery may shorten the lifespan of the product.

Our monofilament filter fabric has a UV-rating of 90% @ 1000 hrs. The signature red stripe of our barrier may fade over time, but the filter fabric will remain effective. At a home development site in Sacramento, CA a building moratorium prevented the completion of the project and our product was still functioning after 8 years of being installed. See how it performed.

The inner core is made from flexible polyurethane covered in polyethylene film. The outer cover is made from 6.2oz, high tensile strength, UV stabilized, 100% polypropylene monofilament filter fabric.

Use one of the included nails to puncture each piece of DuraWattle. Puncture through the filter fabric in at least 4 different places. Inflation time will vary based on the climate where the product is being installed. DuraWattle can also take longer to inflate if it was stored for a long time while compressed.