Newport Beach is expected to be the first West Coast city to turn to a relatively simple, autonomous waterwheel system to shovel trash towards Upper Newport Bay. The California Coastal Commission praised the city for its plan to stem garbage flowing from upstream communities along San Diego Creek and the Santa Ana Delhi Channel before it can reach the ocean, but its members added a call to their project approval this week to city leaders to do more in their own communities by passing legislation against single-use plastics and waste from take-out meals.
“I am very excited about this project,” said Donne Brownsey, the chair of the commission. “I didn’t realize Orange County’s watersheds were so extensive and I hope it becomes a model for other communities. You’re not the only one with big garbage problems.” Newport Beach officials said other cities, including Seal Beach, Los Angeles and San Francisco, have expressed interest in the wheel and have contacted them for details.
The idea came from the Mr. Trash Wheel Family operating in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. This collection of water wheels has picked up more than 2,000 tons of trash and debris since 2014. The solution uses old and new technologies, combining the power of water and sunlight to collect trash and dirt. City officials say it could collect up to 80% of the trash and debris from the environmentally sensitive bay and prevent it from flowing into the port, sea and beaches.