Newport Beach has unveiled the West Coast’s first trash-collecting water wheel at Upper Newport Bay Nature Preserve. The $5.5 million Newport Bay Trash Interceptor aims to significantly reduce pollution by capturing up to 80% of floating debris before it reaches the bay, harbors, and beaches.
The innovative system, modeled after Baltimore’s Mr. Trash Wheel, utilizes a 14-foot wheel powered by river currents and solar panels to move a conveyor belt that collects trash. This project, which took over eight years to complete, is expected to prevent hundreds of tons of garbage from polluting the sensitive habitat of Upper Newport Bay.
City leaders, including Mayor Joe Stapleton and Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley, celebrated the project’s completion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday. Foley emphasized the importance of the interceptor, stating, “Newport Beach residents and visitors deserve to enjoy clean beaches and watershed.”
The interceptor is part of a broader effort to protect the bay, supplementing existing methods like trash booms and catch basin collection systems. It is expected to serve as a model for similar projects across California. The initiative received funding from several government agencies and nonprofit organizations, including the California Department of Water Resources and the Ocean Protection Council.
Local officials hope this sustainable solution will inspire more installations throughout the state, enhancing environmental conservation efforts and keeping California’s waterways clean.
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