Taking Out the Trash—Before It Gets to the Beach
Myrtle Beach, S.C., is one the most-visited family vacation destinations in the U.S. Millions of people come each year for the miles of sandy beaches, golf and tennis, pleasant weather and family attractions that dot this seaside resort. Preventing trash that could be discharged from 58 beach and deepwater outfalls that flow from 162 miles of storm water piping under the city is an important consideration for the engineers and public works officials that manage the system. Clean beaches not only are aesthetically pleasing and environmentally appropriate, but they also are the economic lifeblood of this tourist-dependent town.
DDC Engineers, the primary municipal engineering consultant for the city of Myrtle Beach, first selected the Snout vented storm water quality hood from Best Management Products Inc. in 2003 to minimize the discharge of trash onto the beach. The requirements were threefold: The system had to target trash and roadway oils, and be cost-effective and easy to install and maintain. As part of a major infrastructure project to make drainage improvements along North Ocean Boulevard near 14th Avenue, about 50 storm water inlets were equipped with Snouts. Most pipe was 18- or 24-in. inside diameter, with Snout model 24F being deployed on the 18-in. pipe and model 30Fs on the 24-in pipe.
The North Ocean Boulevard project showed a 70% reduction in trash and gross solids based on mass loading. Since 2003, the city has equipped more than 180 additional structures with a Snout as a major part of its storm water quality improvement efforts, with more specifications continually appearing on future plans. In total, the 200-plus structures with Snouts are credited with removing more than half a million pounds of trash and debris each year, according to DDC Engineers.
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