Fort Worth Could Have 'Trash Wheel' Removing Litter From Trinity River By Next Fall

Arlington TX

20 December, 2021

6:36 PM

Description

By Haley Samsel, Fort Worth Report December 20, 2021 Fort Worth is less than a year away from building its own version of "Mr. Trash Wheel" – a solar and water-powered machine that has found success in cities across the U.S. and could filter tons of floatable trash out of the Trinity River. After receiving council approval on Dec. 14, Fort Worth's environmental department officially began accepting private donations to build at least two water wheels. The machines will funnel plastics and Styrofoam sitting on the water's surface onto a conveyor belt and into a nearby dumpster. Each wheel has an upfront cost of $600,000, not including a $1 million budget to maintain them for a decade. City officials can accept no more than $2.5 million to fund the entirety of the Trinity River Waterwheels Initiative, according to the council resolution. In partnership with the Tarrant Regional Water District and the nonprofit Streams and Valleys, Fort Worth plans to install the wheels near downtown to clean the Clear and West Forks of the river and serve as public art displays, said code compliance director Brandon Bennett. To read the full article, click here. Fort Worth Report is a nonpartisan, nonprofit news organization that produces factual, in-depth journalism about city and county government, schools, healthcare, business, and arts and culture in Tarrant County. Always free to read; subscribe to newsletters, read coverage or support our newsroom at fortworthreport.org.