‘Rain garden boxes’ filter industrial runoff

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Portland-based nonprofit the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership is set to receive a grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The grant money will be used to construct and install “rain gardens in a box” in partnership with the Port of Vancouver and Oregon State University in an effort to reduce pollution runoff and improve water quality. 

Through the “Grattix Box Project,” The Columbia Estuary Partnership will install stormwater treatment boxes known as Grattix boxes and industrial locations in two Oregon cities as well as Longview. Ten Grattix boxes have already been constructed, and the remaining boxes will be built in collaboration with the Port of Vancouver. 

Grattix boxes are large containers layered with wetland plants, soils, sand, rocks and other materials that together filter out over 90 percent of zinc and 85 percent of copper from runoff. They are installed below downspouts to treat runoff, particularly from galvanized metal roofing common in industrial zones. The boxes are easy to replicate and will serve as a model for other industrial properties to treat their runoff in an efficient and affordable way. Zinc and copper in runoff have toxic effects on salmon and other aquatic species. 

The boxes can even be made at home as the materials needed to create the box can be sourced from local hardware stores. Those wanting to build their own Grattix box can do so by getting a food grade plastic container (about 325 gallons) and following the steps below. 

The grant given from the EPA is meant to reduce toxins in the Columbia River. Funding comes from the Columbia River Basin Restoration Fund. The grant program authorized through the Columbia River Basin Restoration Act (CRBRA) passed in 2016. For years, the Columbia River was one of only two major bodies of water in the United States to receive no funding for toxic cleanup and abatement. The CRBRA authorized Congress to appropriate funds for voluntary cleanup efforts, and this marks the first round of funding awarded for the program.



Grattix boxes were pioneered by the Port of Vancouver’s Matt Graves and Mary Mattix. 

“The Port is excited for the opportunity to partner with the Estuary Partnership on this project,” Graves said in a news release. “Water quality is a high priority for the Port and we look forward to assisting other businesses along the Columbia River to effectively treat their runoff without costly renovations.”

Placement sites for the boxes have yet to be determined, but the Estuary Partnership will target industrial properties from St. Helens to Longview sited along the Columbia River to have the greatest direct impact on water quality.