SAVANNAH Ga. () — The Savannah Riverkeepers have partnered with the City of Savannah and other local organizations to create a litter trap system.

There are seven litter traps already installed in different water canals and rivers in the city. The Savannah Riverkeepers said they are designed specifically for the collection of pollution due to storm water.

“We’re going to work with the city to ideally try to identify some of the sources of litter in these areas,” Savannah River Reuse System Outreach Coordinator Cloe Lemaire said.

“Some of them are right next to gas stations where it’s a lot of wind-blown litter.  Stormwater is one of the biggest drivers of trash through these areas.”

The Savannah Riverkeepers described the litter traps to be similar to a buoy in a pool that separates the deep and the shallow end.

The traps have eight inches of curtain that helps catch the surface litter as it’s floating on the water.

The City of Savannah approved the placement of cameras around each litter trap to monitor the buildup.

Lemaire said this is just the start as they want to continue to implement different waste management programs throughout the Coastal Empire.

“I think Savannah is a great city for it. We’re kind of just small enough and with the open container zone, if we could at least have people drinking their open beverages in reusable cups, it would eliminate a ridiculous amount of trash,” Lemaire said.

The Savannah Riverkeeper said they continuously monitor each trap and usually clear them out at the end of each month.

However, with heavy rain, the newly implemented camera will help them monitor the litter and determine if the traps need to be cleaned out sooner.