Cleaning Waterways and Collecting Litter

Washington, D.C. — Washington D.C. took another step in its commitment to a swimable and fishable Anacostia River with the installation of the Bandalong Litter Trap™ which was unveiled Tuesday by District of Columbia Mayor Adrian M. Fenty. The D.C. installation marks the first in North America for the Bandalong Litter Trap which has been widely utilized around the world to collect trash floating in waterways for more than 10 years.

Storm Water Systems, North America’s exclusive licensee of the Bandalong Litter Trap, installed the floating litter collecting device in the Watts Branch tributary into the Anacostia River, well-known for its critical levels of pollution and litter. The Bandalong Litter Trap in Washington D.C. is funded by a grant obtained through the collaboration of the District Department of the Environment (DDOE), the Earth Conservation Corps (ECC), and the Anacostia Riverkeeper.

During the press conference Mayor Fenty committed the District of Columbia to placing additional Bandalong Litter Traps on rivers, streams and tributaries in order to clean the area’s water.

“The Anacostia River is a national treasure,” said Mayor Fenty. “We hope the installation of this litter trap will help the District continue down the path of letting all residents and visitors swim, boat and fish in the Anacostia by 2032. It will also help us meet our regulatory responsibilities.”

During the Mayor’s visit to the site ECC members removed the trash comprised of plastic bottles, bags, cups, balls, shoes and more which had filled the Bandalong in less than one week. As an educational and training project, ECC Members will continue to work with the DDOE to maintain and empty the Bandalong. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments estimates that more than 20,000 tons of trash enters the Anacostia River every year.

“The District of Columbia is at the forefront of designating trash as a harmful and large-scale pollutant in local waterways,” said Gary Hopkins, President of Storm Water Systems. “Storm Water Systems is ready to help. The Bandalong Litter Trap is a viable solution to the floating-litter problem here and in cities throughout the nation.”

Constructed of inert, corrosion-free high density polyethylene (HDPE) and aluminum, the Bandalong Litter Trap floats in waterways and utilizes the water’s current to guide and capture litter before it flows downstream. Storm Water Systems worked with the DDOE to customize the trap to span the entire creek at this litter-strewn area and to allow for high flow rates during rain events. The Bandalong will also serve as an educational tool carrying a sign with an anti-litter message from the participating community organizations.

By continuously operating 365 days a year without any mechanical assistance, the Bandalong has been a proven cost-effective solution to a growing litter problem in waterways throughout Australia and Asia. The Bandalong Litter Trap is manufactured and distributed in North America exclusively by Storm Water Systems.

Source: http://www.stormwatersystems.com/