A New Tool for Taking Out the Trash

Twice a week, we all put out the trash we’ve carefully collected for the city to haul away. It’s what we do to keep our homes clean, fresh and functioning.

Did you know that IFCD 3 regularly has a similar task and, yet, we don’t actually create any trash to dispose of in our facilities? The trash we collect throughout the IFCD 3 system largely comes from improper waste disposal by others. Sadly, we’re on track to remove as much as 40 tons of food wrappers, drink containers and nearly any other trash you can imagine for the year that will end September 30.

That’s 40 tons of waste that’s floated, blown or, even worse, been publicly dumped around Valley Ranch that ends up in or adjacent to our waterways – about the same weight as 23 mid-size four-door automobiles. All that trash must be picked out of and from areas adjacent to our canals and other water structures to ensure it doesn’t reduce the volume of water we can process through our system, contribute to early wear of pump surfaces or clog one or more of our pumps. Looking to the community as a whole, litter contributes to an unhealthy physical environment and creates a blight in our community. Resolving the trash problem helps promote pride and personal ownership within our community.

While some of this trash can be prevented by us all being attentive to disposing of waste in secure containers, that’s not always enough, so we’re introducing a new tool to combat our 40-ton trash challenge: The WasteShark™.

Manufactured specifically for capturing and disposing of trash in waterways, the WasteShark is similar to a robotic vacuum cleaner, using global positioning satellite (GPS) and data communication technologies to collect refuse from our waterways and return it to a central location for final disposal. Unlike the personnel who will continue to collect litter on the shoreline adjacent to IFCD 3 waters, the WasteShark isn’t limited to capturing trash in the water within the reach of a net and pole from the shoreline – the device is able to gather items from anywhere in our waterway system. Additionally, the WasteShark is not limited to daylight hours in conducting its mission. It’s able to operate in complete darkness seven days a week.

Because the WasteShark has been customized for IFCD 3’s needs, it only seems fitting that it have an equally unique name. Have an idea you’d like to share? Contact us online or through Facebook or Twitter, send us your naming suggestion… or suggestions… and you might find it emblazoned on the WasteShark!