LitterTRAK and PGCLitterTRAK - Mobile apps for tracking progress toward cleaner and healthier waterways

About the Program

Category: County Resiliency (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

Prince George’s County works to protect and restore the Chesapeake Bay, especially in regards to reducing pollutants that are carried by stormwater runoff into waterways. Litter is one of the most visible and persistent pollutants. Along roads and streams, it is an unsightly blemish on the landscape that not only contaminates the waterways but carries hidden pollutants that affect bay health. To help keep the local bay tributaries and communities clean and beautiful, the Prince George's County Department of the Environment (DoE) launched its litter tracking tools LitterTRAK and PGCLitterTRAK , mobile applications built with Survey123 for ArcGIS. County residents, community organizations and businesses can use their smartphones and the LitterTRAK and PGCLitterTRAK apps to quickly report trash and debris collected by government agencies as well as individuals or groups during cleanup activities. Users are able to report such data as the number of bags of litter, types of items collected, and litter pick-up locations. ArcGIS maps and analysis of the data which is collected, analyzed and mapped using LitterTRAK and PGCLitterTRAK will be incorporated into the County’s annual progress reports to the Maryland Department of the Environment and Environmental Protection Agency on the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit. These apps facilitate NPDES reporting by providing County staff with an accurate account of real-time litter collection and mapping of litter reduction activities. Staff may use the app-derived data and generated maps to evaluate the effectiveness of litter reduction efforts and to inform allocation of resources.