Storm Water Systems and QSM Introduce Bandalong and Storm X to Louisiana
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For decades, trash has overwhelmed Louisiana’s scenic waterways and outfall canals. In areas as diverse as small town Acadiana and in cities like New Orleans and Baton Rouge — an experience all too common is the sight of litter strewn across our streets, and clogging our waterways.
Storm Water Systems and QSM can do something about that.
QSM signed an agreement making it the manufacturer’s representative for SWS in Louisiana.
This means QSM now offers two solutions to solve the all engrossing litter problem on our bayous, canals, creeks, and riverbeds.
These solutions take the form of two products manufactured in the USA by Storm Water Systems, Bandalong Litter Traps and the Storm X netting trash trap system.
Storm Water Systems was founded by Gary Hopkins and Mark Kirves. Hopkins came to Louisiana in December, 2014, where he met with Josh Loeske and Steven Gros from Quality Sitework to introduce Bandalong Litter Traps and the Storm X system to Louisiana.
In lunch and learn meetings put on by QSM, Hopkins and Jason Davis made presentations to showcase the benefits of deploying Bandalong Litter Traps and Storm X Systems.
Excessive litter impacts the state’s ability to attract tourists, bring in new business, and diminishes quality of life. Hopkins says he is committed to cleaning our waterways — but, he’s not just talking about Louisiana.
A Global Problem with Local Solutions
This is a global problem, but as Hopkins says, “it has local solutions.”
“First and foremost,” he says, “We’ve all got to do a better job of respecting our environment. Our products make a significant difference in collecting trash that accumulates in waterways, but we’d be just as happy if it never got their in the first place.
To that end, one of the things you’ll see on our litter traps is signage that is meant to articulate the trash problem, and to educate the community.”
The two products have different applications, but they’re both applicable for use across the entire state. Bandalong Litter Traps use the natural current to collect floating litter 24/7/365, without any mechanical assistance.
It’s a simple application, in an ingenious product — a floating device installed at strategic locations along waterways — it collects and retains floating litter, vegetation and other debris. The system operates silently and retains the debris in an enclosed cage, fixed with a patented tidal gate that prevents flooding, and prevents trash from exiting the trap.
Storm X is an end of pipe netting trash trap. Storm X systems are used to capture trash and pollutants in outfall canals. It’s an ideal solution for “first flush”, and it’s an economical solution to litter and debris collection in problematic areas of storm water runoff.
According to the American Litter Scorecard, published by the American Society for Public Administration, Louisiana ranks as the second worst state in the U.S. for litter, trailing only Kentucky.
If trash lands on a road, a sidewalk or a park bench, you can be sure it will find its way into our waterways. Once there, we’re causing local agencies and governments undue burden with regards to cleanup and maintenance, and what doesn’t get collected ends up in the Gulf of Mexico, where it then effects vital and economically strong industries such as commercial and sport fishing.
Bandalong and Storm X have been installed successfully worldwide. Some installations report success rates as high as 98 percent in terms of the amount of floating litter that’s collected by these systems.
Want to see one in action? You don’t have to travel very far. In fact, Louisiana’s first Bandalong Litter Trap will be installed in Lafayette in January, 2015.
“The Lafayette City-Parish Council signed with us to install a project at the Bayou Vermilion District,” said Hopkins. “It will be the first of our products in Louisiana. We’re putting a Bandalong Litter Trap on a branch of Coulee Mine just north of South College Road.”
The installation will improve trash collection on one of Lafayett’s major drainage coulees.
David Cheramie, Bayou Vermillion District CEO, says they estimate almost 20 percent of all trash picked up from Lafayette area waterways comes through this coulee.
The Bandalong System will reduce the river trash workload, and allow workers to do more restoration work along area waterways.
For more information, call 855-469-2015. Learn what Bandalong and Storm X can do for waterways in your parish and in your neighborhood. As Hopkins says, “each individual has an impact. The changes we make at a local level, can make for great improvements around the world.”