What we are doing to protect Erie’s water quality.
Litter Booms
Floating barriers known as litter booms are strategically placed in the water to capture litter before it can drift downstream. With three booms in Erie County, these effective barriers help protect the Bay and Lake.
Volunteers and workers regularly clean these booms to remove trapped debris.
Street Sweepers
Our city’s street sweeping machines play a vital role in keeping our streets clean. They efficiently collect and dispose of litter, preventing it from entering storm drains and ultimately contaminating our waterways.
Storm Drain Catchers
To further protect our water sources, several storm drains in the city are equipped with litter catchers. These devices capture debris washed down the streets, stopping it from reaching the Tube and other waterways that flow into the Bay and Lake. Volunteers regularly clean these catchers to ensure they remain effective.
Erie's Storm Strainer
Used as part of a PA Sea Grant research study on urban litter and plastic pollution. The storm strainer device was placed in stormwater drains to collect debris and microplastics, helping researchers better understand the pathways and impacts of stormwater-transported waste in Lake Erie’s watershed.
Varun Kasaraneni, Ph.D., P.E.
Interim Chair, Biomedical, Industrial & Systems Engineering
Chair, Environmental Science & Engineering
Associate Professor
Varun worked with graduate students to design and implement several storm strainers throughout the city.