MILWAUKEE — A new pilot program launched to pick up debris from Kinnickinnic River over the next eight months.
On Friday morning, Mike Peterman, diector of engineering for Aquarius Systems, showed off a stationary trash skimmer called the Trashveyor. The device can pick up trash from the river 24/7.
“We had the machine in the river last fall," said Peterman. "The machine collected one-and-a-half tons within a two week period. So, it’s really quite effective.”
Now that it is spring, the Trashveyor is being put to work for eight months.
The program is funded by the Environmental Protection Agency Small Business Innovation Research Grant and the University of Wisconsin-SBIR Advance Matching Grant Fund.
Peterman said he is thankful that federal and state funding makes this project possible.
“We’re hoping to show that the machine is very capable of picking up trash," said Peterman. "That it is sturdy machine that can be relied upon year after year to keep doing its job and keeping the rivers clean throughout the us.”
The program is also in partnership with the Milwaukee’s Harbor District. Tia Torhorst is the organization’s CEO.
She said since the Kinnickinnic River connects to Lake Michigan; it was an easy call to have the device tested in the district.
“The Kinnickinnic River flows here and more into the Harbor District where there are a lot of businesses," said Torhorst. "A lot of people are recreating on the water. You know it’s not a great experience when you are on your boat and there’s trash floating next to you. It’s just kind of gross so we want to remove as much trash as we can.”
Peterman believes this project also represents what Wisconsinites can do to protect the environment.
“In southeastern Wisconsin, we make stuff," said Peterman. "As a community we need to be very proud of that. We’re very good at making things and we are proud of that as our company being a part of that solution.”
