Washington Tries Bandalong Litter Trap
Washington D.C. has purchased and installed Bandalong Litter Trap™ from Storm Water Systems. The floating litter collecting device was installed in the Watts Branch tributary into the Anacostia River, well-known for its critical levels of pollution and litter.
“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.
The Litter Trap was 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. As an educational and training project, ECC Members will continue to work with the DDOE to maintain and empty the trap. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments estimates that more than 20,000 tons of trash enters the Anacostia River every year.
Constructed of inert, corrosion-free high density polyethylene (HDPE) and aluminum, the trap floats in waterways and uses 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 throughout Australia and Asia.