Welcome the new Trash Tank Boat!

LHPCW is excited to showcase it’s new “Trash Tank” boat to help keep Lake Hartwell clean and protect our drinking water!

LHPCW, in partnership with Lake Hartwell Association, has long focused on shoreline clean-ups, hosting bi-annual clean-ups each year since the spring of 2023. There has been a total of three clean-ups organized and hosted by LHPCW, with a total of 53.5 miles of shoreline cleaned and 16,707 pounds of trash (464 bags, 24 dock floats, 25 car tires) pulled from Lake Hartwell since the start of these clean-ups. The lake clean-ups leveraged community volunteers, lake property owners, local businesses, diver groups, county agencies, and SCPRT to remove litter from the lake successfully. A total of 452 volunteers have participated since the start of the clean ups.

As LHPCW has grown, we have realized there are frequent challenges with accessing island trash and removing floating debris, such as dock floats, which highlighted the need for a specialized boat. Recognizing this gap, the organization began planning the "Trash Tank" over a year ago to enhance cleanup efforts. Officially unveiled in August 2024 at a ribbon cutting event, the "Trash Tank" is a custom-designed vessel that efficiently collects and removes litter, addressing pollution in areas previously inaccessible. Key collaborators include the Lake Hartwell Association, Anderson County, Captain Daves Boat World (Boat Donor), and a Yamaha dealer that donated the motor. Many other businesses in Anderson County also contributed retrofitting the boat including Lee Marine, T & M Custom Docks, Carolina Custom Composites, and Carolina Canvas. With additional funding, LHPCW aims to expand the boat’s operational capacity. By tackling pollution and protecting this vital natural resource, the "Trash Tank" serves as a model project for addressing waterway litter and preserving water quality.

For the 2024 year, our fall clean-up was hosted at 11 different sites and 1 scuba site totaling 70 total volunteers and 16 staff in attendance. These sites spanned across both the South Carolina and Georgia side of Lake Harwell. In total, 2,645 pounds of trash was collected, 5 tires removed from the lake, 2 dock floats, and 13 miles of shoreline cleaned. We are proud of the work of our volunteers and community to keep our lake healthy for today and tomorrow!