You Deserve A Bouquet Today: Water Wheel Trash Interceptor

By Carling Elder

You know how you often you hear a story of someone making a positive change to your city and think, “That’s awesome!” but never actually thank or acknowledge them because you assume someone else will?

Here at Local Color Flowers, we are making it our responsibility to thank the individuals who are making positive changes to Baltimore by re-launching our “You Deserve a Bouquet Today” giveway. We know the work these individuals are doing is never easy, and yet they carry on; their dedication affecting work and play in Baltimore in very meaningful ways.With our favorite medium - locally grown flowers, we hope to let these people know just how grateful we are for their contributions to our city, and to share some LoCoFlo love along the way!

Our first bouquet giveaway was to John Kellett, inventor of the Water Wheel Trash Interceptor. If you haven’t see this Water Wheel, get down to the Baltimore harbor! Floating in the water, the Water Wheel looks like a giant sea creature with a glistening white shell, and solar-panel bug eyes. It’s definitely eye-catching, and as John said, a major attraction for both tourists and Baltimoreans alike. Much cooler looking than a harbor full of trash! 

The Water Wheel works by pulling trash out of the water with a leaf rake. The trash then moves onto a conveyor belt, from which it is dropped into a dumpster. Best part is, the Water Wheel is powered by the renewable energy of the water current, and solar panels! For more information and videos, visit  Facebook (just make sure you have plenty of time - it’s fascinating!).

The best part of giving flowers to John, was actually meeting him, and hearing his story of the Water Wheel’s inception. When John met us at the Water Wheel, speeding up on his motor boat, he told us how the Wheel began. He told us that he worked down in the harbor for years, and each day would walk across the bridge connecting Pier 5 to Harbor East. John said that each day he felt disgusted by the amount of debris he saw floating the water. He stated that he would also hear tourists commenting on how gross the water looked, and said he often felt saddened that a harbor full of trash was often visitors’ first impression of Baltimore.

Something had to change, and John made it his mission to invent a solution to this trash problem. The Water Wheel has already received international press and recognition.

As we handed John his flowers, carefully reaching out over the water, we thought that there are few people more deserving of recognition than John! What this Water Wheel has done for the harbor already is amazing, and it’s only in the beginning of its journey!