Depths: The depth varies depending on the body of water depth and condition in your location. The most common is 5' deep. However, BMP Supplies manufactures anything from 2.5' - 30' curtains. 

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Lengths: Our curtains are sold by individual sections. The standard sections length is 50'.

Depth for the turbidity curtain is chosen based on the depth of the water in your location. As a standard rule of thumb the depth of skirt should extend down until it is about one 1' from the floor. This allows the curtain to provide maximum containment without the bottom of the skirt getting bogged down with settled silt/turbidity/sediment.

Choosing the right silt curtain for your location is often dependent on different site factors and conditions. The standard classifications for our turbidity curtains are as follows:

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Type 1: Calm Water

Type 2: Medium Water Conditions

Type 3: Fast Water Conditions

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You can compare all of our various curtains HERE

Type 1: 0 fps, still water and calm areas
Type 2: 1 knot, moderate wind and waves under 2'
Type 3: 1.5 knots, moderate winds and waves under 2'

A. Wind, waves, and current: For many locations the three most influential factors on the silt curtain are wind, waves and current. Depending on where your work area is located these factors can act as a force on the turbidity curtain causing it to move and adjust while installed. This, in turn, can limit the turbidity curtain's ability to contain silt and sediment in a given location.

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If you are dealing with a site that has any of the above conditions a Type 2 or Type 3 silt curtain will probably work best for your area. These silt curtains include the addition of a single or dual tension cable along the top of the curtain. This increases the strength of the curtain and its ability to hold up to moving water areas.

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B. Anchoring: The second thing required for any moving water condition is effective anchoring. Spacing and anchor types will change by area, but should typically include, at a minimum, shoreline anchors and anchoring along the barrier every 50' or 100'.

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Review BMP Supplies Anchoring Kit HERE

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C. Construction BMP's: Erosion Control socks and Straw Wattles are proactive construction BMPs to manage site runoff. While many sites choose to place construction BMPs directly inside the drain with catch basin products, self bailers and filter can go one step further to filter runoff at the source. This method addresses and controls pollution before it even reaches the drain system. A Turbidity Meter can also help determine your water's turbidity level to help select the proper silt curtain.

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Review BMP Supplies Erosion Control products HERE
Review BMP Supplies Catch Basin products HERE

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BMP Does not recommend reuse but it some cases a floating curtain can be reused as long as they are properly cleaned and are not previously used with materials that are contaminated. If you are using this turbidity curtain in a location that is dealing with contaminated materials, please make sure that your curtain is properly decontaminated before reuse.

Review our Turbidity Curtain Install Instructions HERE

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Boom are used to contain substances (oil, trash, seaweed, logs, or other debris) floating on the surface of the water. On the other hand, turbidity curtains are used to contain both floating debris and for sediment control when it is suspended beneath the surface of the water. BMP Supplies both floating Booms or Curtains.

With the proper care and maintenance, BMP turbidity curtains can be a long-term investment in your job. While not meant to be a permanent solution to turbidity control, these curtains can help manage runoff sediment during inclement weather, or while you’re implementing longer term erosion solutions.
 

With time and natural wear and tear, a turbidity curtain may become less effective as it’s exposed to rough seas or heavy currents. Holes may form in the plastic or floaters, and anchors or grommets may become dislodged. If unmonitored, a runaway silt curtain can contribute to murky, polluted waters itself.