Stormwater biofilters are a reliable technology to remove metals from stormwater. A solid carbon source in the filter (combined with a submerged zone) enhances especially Cu removal further; the already high Pb and Zn removal is slightly enhanced. However, the submerged zone helps to minimize (Cu, Zn) or eliminate (Pb) the negative effects which prolonged drying has on the removal rates. Thus, the introduction of a submerged zone is only recommended if nitrogen treatment is targeted (Zinger et al. 2007) or if drying is expected. Temperature differences might have a little influence on especially Cu treatment. However, this influence is not of practical importance indicating that biofilters can successfully be implemented throughout the whole seasonal cycle. A high proportion of metals are retained at the top of the filter which is important for biofilter design and maintenance planning. A filter less than the currently recommended 800 to 900 mm might be sufficient for reliable metal treatment. Furthermore, scraping of the top layer could delay replacing of the whole filter media