Courtesy of the City of Fort Worth
Giant, solar-powered waterwheels similar to this one in Baltimore's Inner Harbor will help clean up trash in Fort Worth's Trinity River.
It's described as a cross between an old grain mill and a covered wagon. Or perhaps it's a machine from one of those space-cowboy movies. Either way, Fort Worthians will soon be seeing a couple of them floating along the Trinity River.
The machines are actually trash collectors — or, as the City of Fort Worth defines them, solar-powered waterwheels "placed in flowing waterways to collect and remove floatable pollution." While the river current turns the wheel, solar-powered pumps work a conveyer that lifts and deposits trash into a detachable dumpster.
Fort Worth is getting two waterwheels — thanks to investment by the city, Tarrant Regional Water District, and other community partners — to be placed on the Trinity near downtown to help clean the Clear Fork and West Fork of the river.
The project, dubbed the Trinity River Waterwheels Initiative, got the green light from the Fort Worth City Council on Tuesday when council members voted to accept private donations for the machines' design, installation, and maintenance.
Construction and installation costs are about $600,000 upfront per waterwheel. After that, maintenance costs are minimal, estimated to be $50,000 annuallyper waterwheel, according to the city. This cost includes the disposal of collected wastes, system checks, and annual system audits.
“Everyone wants access to clean water and the ability to enjoy recreational activities without coming into contact with trash or stormwater pollution,” said Brandon Bennett, code compliance director for Fort Worth. “The concept behind waterwheels couldn’t be any simpler, but the results are astonishing when it comes to cleaning tons of trash pollution from waterways in a short period of time.”
The city's goal is to fund both the construction and 10 years of maintenance through community donations via program partner Keep Fort Worth Beautiful. Those looking to learn more or donate can do so here.