Median pollutant removal percentages for several stormwater BMPs. Sources. More detailed information and ranges of values can be found in other locations in this manual, as indicated in the table. NSD - not sufficient data. NOTE: Some filtration bmps, such as biofiltration, provide some infiltration. The values for filtration practices in this table are for filtered water.
Link to this table

Practice TSS TP PP DP TN Metals1 Bacteria Hydrocarbons
Infiltration2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Biofiltration and Tree trench/tree box with underdrain 80 link to table link to table link to table 50 35 95 80
Sand filter 85 50 85 0 35 50 80 80
Iron enhanced sand filter 85 74 85 606 35 50 80 80
Dry swale (no check dams) 68 link to table link to table link to table 35 80 0 80
Wet swale (no check dams) 35 0 0 0 15 35 35 NSD
Constructed wet ponds4, 5 84 46 84 0 30 70 60 80
Constructed wetlands 73 38 69 0 30 70 60 80
Permeable pavement (with underdrain) 74 41 74 0 NSD NSD NSD NSD
Green roofs 85 0 0 0 NSD NSD NSD NSD
Harvest and reuse Removal is 100% for captured water that is infiltrated. For water captured and routed to another practice, use the removal values for that practice.

TSS=Total suspended solids, TP=Total phosphorus, PP=Particulate phosphorus, DP=Dissolved phosphorus, TN=Total nitrogen
1Data for metals is based on the average of data for zinc and copper
2BMPs designed to infiltrate stormwater runoff, such as infiltration basin/trench, bioinfiltration, permeable pavement with no underdrain, tree trenches with no underdrain, and BMPs with raised underdrains.
3Pollutant removal is 100 percent for the volume infiltrated, 0 for water bypassing the BMP. For filtered water, see values for other BMPs in the table.
4Dry ponds do not receive credit for volume or pollutant removal
5Removal is for Design Level 2
6Removal is for Tier 2 iron enhanced sand filter. Tier 1 removal is 40 percent, resulting in a TP removal of 65%