Design of a System to Collect and Store Debris in Small Bodies of Water Carried Through Culverts

Water contamination increasingly threatens the most vulnerable populations and ecosystems. Small streams, and the Hans Groot Kill (Schenectady, NY) in particular, have been shown to contribute significantly to the pollution of larger bodies of water and present health and safety risks to the communities in which they are situated. This presentation describes the conception, construction, and evaluation of a design for a system to collect pollutants and debris from water flowing through a large pipe and store them for later, proper disposal. An installation site was selected after examining the section of the Hans Groot Kill that is exposed at the surface. The surface velocity and volumetric flow rates were then estimated seasonally at this location. Design requirements and constraints were identified and five alternative solutions were generated. Evaluation of these solutions identified the optimal design to be a passive system that functions by diverting the majority of the flow into a storage bin, where it passes through filtration fabric. The design makes use of several pre-existing stormwater filtration products. Its plywood frame was sized to fit the lower portion of the culvert at the selected site such that all the water passing through the pipe is forced through the system. The solution also employs distance sensors, an Arduino microcontroller, and a small water turbine to alert the user when maintenance is required. This design process and evaluation suggest that a system of this nature is a promising solution to the issue of pollution in small bodies of water carried through culverts.