County installs WaterGoats to collect trash in waterways

Sarasota County took another step toward cleaning its waterways with the purchase of 10 floating waste collection systems called WaterGoats. 

WaterGoats get their name for "eating" litter in waterways. The WaterGoats skim the top eight inches of water to accumulate trash for collection and disposal. 

The floating system, which will be installed in county waterways, was first recognized as a solution through data collected by the Floatable Pollution Prevention Program. The group collected more than a year of data and helped the county identify 10 locations for the device installation. 

WaterGoats can already be found in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties, where more than 100 tons of trash have been harvested. 

"These devices will be a tremendous help because they collect floating trash debris that could impact area waterways or restrict water flow. WaterGoats are easy to install and maintain, making them a sustainable option," John Ryan, the manager of Sarasota County's stormwater environmental utilities. 

County staff installed the first WaterGoat in the Whitaker Bayou on March 12. It is expected to collect more than 10 pounds of trash a week. County staff anticipates more than 400 pounds of pollution a week will be prevented from entering gulf and bay waters once installations are complete. 

Two more units also were installed in the Hudson Bayou Project, which will impact the bay and surrounding area. The remaining units are scheduled for installation throughout 2020. 

Additionally, the city of Sarasota partnered with Sarasota High School and the county to purchase and install a WaterGoat at the school. The school is able to monitor data points and local impacts to waterways as part of its science curriculum.  

"During the lifetime of this device, it will keep thousands of pounds of trash from entering our waterways and will provide invaluable educational opportunities for local students on pollution prevention," Jeff Vredenburg, sustainability program educator for the city of Sarasota, said in a statement.