The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) is looking for a new spokesman, err dog, to address a persistent problem in the city and surrounding neighborhoods: dog poop.
More than just a nuisance to pedestrians and gardeners, dog poop may also contaminate the water supply. The spokesdog will be employed as part of neighborhood green efforts and will work to educate the masses on proper disposal of pet waste and to spread the word about such contamination.
PWD will use the spokesdog in a pilot program in the Roxborough, Manayunk, and East Falls neighborhoods. These particular neighborhoods are home to 5,000 dogs and built on a steep grade which allows for waste to find its way into the Schuylkill River.
The Water Department estimates that dogs produce 3.6 billion pounds of waste per year. This waste takes up to a year to decompose and contains fecal coliform bacteria which can be harmful to people, plants, and other animals. The fine for leaving dog waste on public property in Philadelphia is $500.
PWD’s spokesdog contest comes on the heels of some other projects seeking creative and sustainable means of pet waste disposal. In Ithaca, New York, dog owners compost their waste rather than bagging it for disposal. In Cambridge, Massachusetts, methane gas from dog waste was used to power a park lamp. In other parks, dog owners have taken it upon themselves to self-police by reminding negligent dog owners to pick up after their pet.
You can vote for your favorite spokesdog and learn more about the issues here.
