Rubbish in our marine environment is a growing problem. Not only is it visually unappealing, it’s also a serious threat to wildlife and fish. Much of this rubbish is washed out to sea from stormwater systems following heavy rain.
We have started installing litter traps in the sumps in central Richmond to try and control the situation. These sumps catch rubbish that otherwise will be washed into our stormwater system and would end up in the marine environment.
The initial focus is on sites in car parks where large quantities of litter have been known to accumulate, and where they are easy to install.
Our contractor will use the first of these as training for installation and refine a maintenance system before they are rolled out to other areas. Their performance will be monitored to see how much rubbish we can divert from our stormwater system. We are also going to work with a school that will use one on their grounds as an educational tool.
The litter traps we’ve chosen were carefully selected and are known to perform well during storm events without impeding flow even when full.