One LittaTrap™ in a single catch basin captured over 2000 cigarette butts.
EnviroPod™ undertook a pilot study in central Auckland to evaluate the effectiveness of the LittaTrap™ in capturing gross pollutants within a busy urban environment.
A single LittaTrap™ was installed in a catch basin on the corner of Beresford Square and Hopetoun Street in Auckland's vibrant Karangahape Road precinct. The trial was designed to provide both quantitative and qualitative data on the types and volumes of pollutants entering the stormwater network from a typical inner-city catchment.
The study demonstrated how at-source stormwater treatment can prevent litter and debris from reaching Auckland's waterways while providing valuable insights into urban pollution hotspots.
Urban centres generate a diverse range of stormwater pollutants from pedestrians, vehicles, businesses, and surrounding land uses.
The Beresford Square catchment presented several characteristics that made it an ideal trial location (shown below in Figure 2):
The area was particularly affected by litter associated with nightlife, including cigarette butts and food packaging, much of which was entering the stormwater system through curb inlets.
A single EnviroPod™ LittaTrap™ (Figure 1) was installed within the existing catch basin to intercept litter and gross pollutants before they entered the underground stormwater network.
The retrofit installation required no major infrastructure modifications and allowed captured material to be removed through routine maintenance.
The trial monitored pollutant capture over an 11-month period, with maintenance and detailed analysis undertaken on three occasions.
Over approximately 11 months of operation, the LittaTrap™ captured:
The captured material consisted of a combination of:
Without interception at the catch basin, these pollutants would have entered Auckland's stormwater network and downstream receiving environments.
The trial demonstrated several advantages of the LittaTrap™ for urban stormwater management:
The project also highlighted the value of catch basin filtration as a monitoring tool, enabling councils to better understand pollutant sources and seasonal trends.
The Beresford Square pilot demonstrated that even a single catch basin can intercept substantial quantities of litter within a busy urban environment.
Over less than one year, the LittaTrap™ prevented more than 10 kilograms of gross pollutants, including an estimated 2,000 cigarette butts, from entering Auckland's waterways.
The project highlights how simple, retrofit stormwater treatment solutions can deliver measurable environmental benefits while helping municipalities better understand and manage urban litter pollution.
