The measurement and reduction of urban litter entering stormwater drainage systems: Paper 1 - Quantifying the problem using the City of Cape Town as a case study

The wash-off of solid waste into the drainage systems of urban areas is not only unsightly; it seriously interferes with aquatic life in the receiving streams, rivers, lakes and oceans. Litter management in South Africa is currently, however, severely hindered by the lack of good quality data on the quantities and types of urban litter emanating from different types of landuse. This paper describes a monitoring programme that was implemented between 2000 and 2002 in nine subcatchments representing various land uses and demographic profiles located within the boundaries of the City of Cape Town. Measured quantities of urban litter, vegetation, and building debris are given for each of the nine subcatchments. These data are then used as input to a GIS-based model of the City of Cape Town in order to estimate the quantity of urban litter that is currently entering the drainage systems of that city. Key Words: Litter management, Stormwater drainage systems, Water quality management, Quantity of litter WaterSA Vol.30(4) 2004: 469-482