It’s Official: Scoop is Live!

If you’ve followed along with IFCD 3, you may have noticed that we frequently discuss trash and its effects on our ability to properly manage flooding throughout Valley Ranch.

After 40 years of going around to each canal in the community and manually water bottles, packaging and other items out of the water, IFCD 3 is proud to announce the official launch of an innovative solution that will save our team time and enable us to focus on what we do best: maintenance and managing the pump station.

Since 2018, our team has researched and explored options to help us manage trash in our waterways. After researching and vetting different opportunities, we discovered a one-of-a-kind aquatic trash collector, WasteShark, produced by RanMarine, a company specializing in providing customized solutions and sensors for sea, land, surface and aerial applications. We came to the conclusion that WasteShark was the kind of solution we were looking for. Working closely with RanMarine’s experts, we began a multi-year journey to get this device up and running in Valley Ranch.

While some moments felt like we were swimming upstream, the hard work paid off. Through many hours of operational training and programming the device specifically for our waterways, IFCD3’s very own WasteShark, which community members have named ‘Scoop,’ is live. Scoop will now be able to ‘swim’ along the surface of our waterways, collecting trash as it goes along. Once full of trash, Scoop notifies our team so we can empty its bin and send it back on its way.

By implementing Scoop into our flood control system, our team will be able to focus more of our time on maintenance projects to ensure that our facilities remain ready to handle severe weather.

While select organizations in the U.S. have considered utilizing WasteShark, IFCD 3 has become the first U.S. organization, and one of roughly ten organizations worldwide, to officially launch WasteShark. This accomplishment is one of many proof points for how IFCD 3 is leaning into innovation and finding new ways to deliver excellence to the community.

To learn more about this innovation, visit our new webpage with a video, FAQs and fun facts about Scoop.