Frog Creek Partners and The Water Connection work together to stop recurring flooding and stormwater pollution at Denver Zoo
Environmental tech gains momentum in Denver area, this time protecting a different side of the ‘animal kingdom’
Casper, Wyoming and Denver, Colorado – June 27th, 2019 – After several instances in which trash and sediment build-up caused parking lot and moat flooding at Denver Zoo, a new gutter system will help to minimize flooding while keeping trash from seeping into our water ways.
Frog Creek Partners (FCP), inventors of The Gutter Bin stormwater filtration system, is providing Denver Zoo with their innovative stormwater system that catches trash and sediment as it enters storm drains. The Gutter Bin, which can be described as an “coffee filter for storm drains,” prevents the clogs that once chronically plagued the Zoo.
Not only does the product help prevent floods and keep operations running smoothly, but the Gutter Bin’s low maintenance means that the Denver Zoo is saving $40,000 per year in regularly scheduled cleanup costs.
“What started as a clogged storm drain turned into a wonderful relationship right in line with our commitment to sustainability,” said Jennifer Hale, senior director of campus management and sustainability for Denver Zoo. “Earlier this year the lion yard and main parking plaza experienced flooding due to trash, sediment and debris getting caught in the storm drain. With Frog Creek Partners’ solution, we’re able to avoid substantial clean up costs and we have a permanent way to keep our storm water free of pollution, far more benefit than we initially bargained for.”
Since its inception in 2016, FCP has set its eyes on keeping pollution from entering rivers and streams via storm drainage. The company, which now has operations in both the Intermountain West and Pacific Coast, expanded to Denver when The Greenway Foundation, a 45-year local non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing rivers and reconnecting communities, recognized the Gutter Bin as a way to protect the South Platte River and immediately facilitated an innovative pilot program with the City of Denver and connected FCP with the Zoo, in addition to making an initial investment into a few of the bins to get things started.
“The Greenway Foundation has been working since 1974 to restore and revitalize the South Platte River watershed and stormwater pollution has been one of our greatest challenges,” said Devon Buckels, Director of The Water Connection initiative of The Greenway Foundation. “Every year, local non-governmental organizations and the Flood Control District spend $1.5 million removing trash from the South Platte River by hand, one piece at a time. Much of that trash finds its way to our waterways through Denver’s storm drains. We’re thrilled to tap into this innovative technology from Frog Creek Partners to capture and remove the pollution before it reaches our waterways.”
The Denver Zoo, similar to the City of Denver, is working in conjunction with The Greenway Foundation to help Denver as a municipality stay ahead of the curve utilizing sustainable clean water practices.
In just one year, the Gutter Bins installed as a pilot in Denver, removed 2,471 pounds of pollution. If the Gutter Bin protected all 22,000 of Denver’s catch basins, that’s approximately 4.5 million pounds of pollution that could be caught before pouring into the South Platte River. If it were to reach the River, all of Denver’s trash could eventually flow to the Gulf of Mexico where it can spread globally.
Nationally there are 40 million catch basins in the United States and the vast majority are unprotected. That puts the approximate pollution capture potential for the US at 41 million tons, or 8.2 billion pounds, per year, making stormwater pollution the single greatest contributor to water pollution in the US today.
Brian Deurloo, President and Founder of Frog Creek Partners, is looking forward to FCP’s partnership with the zoo and the opportunity to make another set of drains environmentally safe.
“It’s a great honor to be able to work with such an iconic and forward thinking organization like the Denver Zoo,” said Brian Deurloo, President and founder of Frog Creek Partners. “After our success keeping pollution from reaching the South Platte River for the City of Denver, working with the Denver Zoo and The Greenway Foundation opens up an entirely new and sustainable practice of stormwater conservation that directly affects animal habitats allowing future generations to experience these wonderful creatures – it’s truly self-fulfilling.”
About Frog Creek Partners
Frog Creek Partners is an environmental technology company whose mission is to keep pollution out of the nation’s watersheds. With the patent pending Gutter Bin® stormwater filtration system, pollutants are filtered out of stormwater thereby improving the health of our rivers and oceans – Because Clean Water is a Good Thing™. For more information, visit Frog Creek Partners on the web.
About The Water Connection / The Greenway Foundation
The Water Connection is the policy and water resources arm of The Greenway Foundation, fostering civic action and technological innovation for resilient Colorado watersheds. The mission of The Greenway Foundation is Revitalizing Rivers and Reconnecting Communities. For more information, visit www.thegreenwayfoundation.org