The City of Barrie undertook a pilot program to catch litter before it enters city select stormwater drains, to help protect Lake Simcoe. While the LittaTrap pilot program is over, the traps are still being used by the City to further monitor pollutants and manage litter hotspots.
In 2019, one LittaTrap unit was installed in a pedestrian-heavy area of downtown Barrie, which resulted in 473 pieces of garbage being captured in just five months. From the success of this initial study, the City rolled out a subsequent pilot program; 112 LittaTrap units were installed downtown in fall 2021.
The LittaTrap filters capture garbage and pollutants larger than 5mm that enter drains during rainfall and snow melt. This prevents litter from entering the Lake Simcoe ecosystem and helps protect the environment. The City is working on developing an engineering standard that would require a LittaTrap like device for catch basins in all new construction and development projects.
Project Updates
September 2023
City staff completed three samplings of the 30 LittaTraps this summer, which resulted in a collection of over 120 lbs. of trash, 458 lbs. of sediment, and 493 lbs. of organics. More material was collected in the LittaTraps this year than in 2022.
