The following excerpt appeared in the November 2017 issue of Pompano! Magazine
By Marie Puleo
Every month, a cleanup crew patrols over 100 of Pompano’s canals on a work boat, fishing our trash using nets and gaffs, a slow and difficult process. But the city’s recent purchase of an automated skimmer boat is expected to improve efficiency and increase the volume of debris collected from the city’s waterways.
The new, state-of-the-art canal cleaning vessel – a catamaran made of marine-grade aluminum – “drives” over the floating debris, catching it in a basket-like compartment between the two hulls. When the basket is full, it is removed from the boat, emptied into a trash truck and placed back on the boat.
“The city has never had a boat that was actually designed for canal cleaning,” said Russ Ketchem, the city’s solid waste operations manager. “We would purchase a vessel and modify it so suit our needs. This new boat was actually designed for canal cleaning operations, so it is much more efficient and effective.”
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