What’s in a Name

Earlier this month, WaterWays introduced you to IFCD 3’s new Waste Shark, currently being prepped for its new job in helping personnel collect more litter out of District waterways.

Shortly after the announcement of the Waste Shark’s arrival, aimed at people staying connected with IFCD 3 through Facebook and Twitter, we asked for suggested names for the robot. Through a variety of messages, some including guest appearances by Roomba and the UT-Dallas Starship Delivery Robot, we talked up the new robotic trash collector.

So, some of you may be wondering why we started looking for a name for Waste Shark.

The answer is simple. Talking about trash, in general, is boring. Talking about a name gets more people talking.

Finding a way to make a serious topic more interesting and engaging is really important in getting the word out. That’s why we’re making trash more curious, more entertaining and, sometimes, even more off-the-wall. If you read the previous WaterWays blog, you may not be able to ever pass a parking lot with 23 cars parked in it and see trash the same way. Talking with your kids while watching an ancient rerun of The Jetsons on Prime creates an opportunity to talk about real robots, like the Waste Shark. Thinking about how trash has been collected from the center of the District’s wider and longer bodies of water in the past certainly fits into the curiosity category. Coming up with a name is a fun part of an important task.

Everyone in Valley Ranch has an opportunity to participate in solving the litter challenge. The first and easiest way is to make sure that items you dispose of in trash cans and other receptacles is fully in the container and not able to blow out. If you have trash while you’re out and about, be sure to properly contain it until you reach a trash can. When transporting items in a pick-up truck or trailer, make sure the cargo area is covered to prevent blown-out items. In this era of COVID-19, picking up random trash is less feasible, but if you want to have an even greater impact, practices similar to picking up after pets can make a difference in the problem.

Ignoring the litter problem can impact our capacity and ability to properly handle large amounts of water during major storms. Likewise, the appearance of Valley Ranch suffers, as do properties downstream of Valley Ranch along the Elm Fork. Helping address the trash issue maximizes our system capacity, allows personnel to be assigned to other tasks and helps keeps our Valley Ranch community looking great.

So, what’s the name going to be? Stand by, us humans are now working on it!