The trash wheel located below the Fletcher Jones Mercedes dealership in the upper bay is almost ready to operate.  80% of the structure has been completed which required extensive piling installation to withstand the high flow rate pressure that develops when storm events happen along with many other challenges. 

The project includes a solar element to help power the conveyor that pulls up the material and dumps it into a commercial size trash container.   The solar panels with provide power to charge the batteries that power the pumps that pump water onto the water wheel vanes that rotates the wheel that intern powers the conveyor to pull the trash along and into the trash container.  

During the most recent storm city staff deployed the trash booms before the rainfall.  Here are some photos of what was trapped.  The material you see collected in the photo will be removed and taken away.

The new trash wheel machine will do this work almost 100% by automation.  Yes, the trash truck will be required to empty the bin as it gets to capacity, but that’s it. 

A new roadway had to be constructed (and permitted) for the trash truck to drive on.  This was an expensive addition to the project but is now complete. 

The solar panels should be finished end of February.  

It is very exciting to think after 7 years of work we won’t have trash entering our beautiful harbor water as it did year after year storm after storm.

A big shout out should go to our staff at the city who have been working on this from every aspect.  Permitting, funding, construction and operation responsibilities were all included to get this to the finish line.  There are a lot of people to thank that made this possible and we will soon be able to thank them at the upcoming launch of the trash wheel.  See Images Below

Duffy Duffield

Vice Chairman