Floatable Litter Entering Waterways Through Storm Sewers

Man-made floatable litter (MMFL) appears commonly in area rivers. The litter consists of plastic containers, Styrofoam, and other materials. It has been found along river banks, at hydroelectric power plant intakes, and at other locations on the river. It is expected that this litter is derived from recreational and commercial uses of the river and from street litter which is transported to the river by storm sewers and creeks.

The goals of this project were to: estimate the volume of man-made floatable litter which enters the Mississippi River from the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area, estimate the portion of litter which is contributed by storm sewers, and evaluate possible techniques for reducing the litter problem.

The project included three main work tasks, which were: a literature search, a telephone survey of regulatory agencies in other parts of the country, and a field investigation.