SARASOTA, Fla. — You might mistake this cloudy water for a dirty pool, but this is a water goat. Its job is to catch floating trash like plastic in the Gulf before it gets into local waterways or is swallowed by turtles and other marine life.
Harold Roebuck with Sarasota County Public Works says it’s small steps like this that can make a big difference. “We can do our small part and start as far upstream as possible to capture this stuff and collect it and get it out of our waterways. It’s a win for the environment. It’s a win for our wildlife. It’s a win for our tourism,” Roebuck said.
There are about 10 water goats around Sarasota County. The newest one is in the waterway adjacent to Sarasota High School. Each one costs $2,700 and can hold about 100 pounds of trash. Sarasota County Storm Water Department installs the "goats" and has teamed up with Keep Sarasota Beautiful to collect the debris.
Mark Maksimowicz of St. Pete came up with the idea a few years ago and sells the devices to non-profits.
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