Devices offer ‘grate’ way to trap waterway waste

They are known as SQIDs and over the past two years these Stormwater Quality Improvement Devices have prevented more than 500 cubic metres of Redlands Coast waste ending up in Moreton Bay.

Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said the SQIDs were designed to stop vegetation, sediments, litter and other materials entering the city’s waterways and ultimately into the bay.

“We have a network of about 740 SQIDs whose tentacles spread all across Redlands Coast,” Cr Williams said.

“In 2019 about 280 cubic metres of waste, and a further 228 cubic metres in 2020, was recovered from the devices by Council contractor, Urban Asset Solutions, which monitors and maintains the SQIDs.”

Cr Williams said the devices took several formats, including trash racks which are steel grates with netting that sit across open channels to collect large waste like bottles, takeaway cups and green waste.

“There are 80 of these trash racks across the city,” Cr Williams said.

“There are another 320 litter baskets in use that are generally installed in stormwater pits and more than 70 gross pollutant traps, or GPTs, that are installed throughout the drainage network.

“SQIDs also come in the form of bio-retention basins and swales of which there are more than 100 on Redlands Coast including a brand new basin that has been constructed alongside Birkdale Recycling and Waste Centre.

“The bio-retention basin at Birkdale will improve the quality of stormwater runoff from the waste centre.”

Urban Asset Solutions’ scope of works consists of general system monitoring, reporting and maintenance services including repairing erosion, unblocking  inlets and outlets, removing litter and debris, managing and controlling weeds, planting, reporting on rectification works and undertaking scheduled GPT cleans by vacuum or crane truck methods to ensure  all managed assets are performing to their intended specification, are safe and aesthetically pleasing.

Cr Williams said the company had a regional office in Cleveland that employed four people fulltime.

“It is just one of many local businesses and suppliers used by Council,” she said.

“Council is focused more on spending local as part of our corporate procurement policy, contract manual and strategic contracting plan and procedures adopted in July last year.

“Wherever possible we will be using local businesses and suppliers to continue our support of the local economy and to keep people in jobs and create new employment opportunities.”