A plastic bag and other trash items mixed with leaf litter accumulate on top of an urban storm drain on a rainy day.

Intercepting Urban Stormwater Debris in the Great Lakes Watershed

The Rochester Institute of Technology is installing, maintaining, and collecting debris from interception devices within storm drain catch basins in debris hotspots throughout Rochester, New York and developing a guide for use in other cities.

Type of Project: Removal

Region: Great Lakes

Project Dates: October 2024 - September 2027

Who is involved?

With support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program through Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding, the Rochester Institute of Technology is carrying out a comprehensive community engagement and litter intervention program to reduce stormwater debris entering the Great Lakes through partnerships with New York State Sea Grant, Seneca Park Zoo Society, Rochester Museum and Science Center, Monroe County Department of Environmental Services, and EnviroPod

What is the project and why is it important?

The Great Lakes hold one-fifth of the world’s freshwater and boast diverse species and habitats. The Rochester, New York region includes two of the largest tributaries, Irondequoit Creek/Bay and the Genesee River, that enter the south shore of Lake Ontario. It’s estimated that these tributaries account for a large percentage of the approximately 2.75 million pounds of plastic debris that pollute the Lake annually, such as tobacco product waste and single-serving food wrappers. Debris clogs storm drains and prevents appropriate drainage while leaching pollution into local waterways. Unsightly trash disproportionately harms economically-disadvantaged communities, hinders recreational opportunities, and is a public and environmental health threat.

Recognizing that urban stormwater is a significant source of marine debris, Rochester Institute of Technology is working to stem the tide of debris entering the Great Lakes by installing 50 LittaTraps, or devices that filter and capture debris from stormwater catch basins. Building upon existing research funded through the NOAA Marine Debris Program, this three-phase project is using the Institute’s geospatial tool to predict debris hotspots in the urban environment and adjust the trap locations over the life of the project.

In the project’s first phase, 18 catch basins will be fitted with LittaTraps in areas predicted with high and low debris and monitored for one year. Collected data will be used to refine the predictive model for phase two of the project. In the second phase, 32 additional catch basins will be installed based on the model’s new debris hotspot predictions and the 9 lowest traps from phase one will be moved to higher debris areas. After another year of monitoring, the third phase will consist of model refinement and the development of a guide. This guide will outline the strategic site selection, installation, monitoring, and maintenance of LittaTraps, which can be adopted by other cities to lessen learning curves. The project will also co-host a virtual workshop on interception best practices across systems, including input from collaborators at University of Florida/Sea Grant, who are also deploying LittaTraps with support from the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

The project is facilitating a comprehensive engagement program at the neighborhood level through partnerships with the City of Rochester, the Seneca Park Zoo Society, the Rochester Museum and Science Center, Monroe County Department of Environmental Services, and New York Sea Grant. All outreach activities build upon ongoing regional programing, including stormwater curriculum at City-run recreation centers and schools, sewer educational campaigns through Monroe County, monthly community cleanups with the Zoo, the development of a new interactive exhibit at the Science Center, paid urban ecology internships for high schoolers, and professional development opportunities for 20 educators. LittaTraps frequently capture commonly-used and recognizable consumer litter, which is why this community engagement program is the perfect complement to the devices’ installation. Debris interception is an opportunity for the community to understand where their stormwater goes, what types of pollutants are found in their stormwater, and how they can actively participate in solutions.

Rochester Institute of Technology is driving a collaborative network of stormwater outreach and debris interception expertise while advancing tools to ensure the most effective use of interception and predictive technology to remove an estimated 10,000 lbs of trash from Rochester waterways.  

For more information, visit the Marine Debris Program Clearinghouse

Last updated Fri, 09/13/2024 - 02:38 pm EDT