BEBOT to be deployed at Conolley Beach in South Lake Tahoe - postponed

UPDATE: The demonstration of the BEBOT has been moved to Thursday, August 24 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Conolley Beach, South Lake Tahoe behind the Tahoe Beach Retreat.

Update: This event is postponed due to the forecast. A future date will be announced.

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. – The City of South Lake Tahoe is partnering with the Beach Retreat, ECO-CLEAN Solutions, and the League to Save Lake Tahoe to deploy the beach-cleaning robot BEBOT on the shores of Lake Tahoe. BEBOT, short for “beach robot,” will be performing a full beach cleaning at Conolley Beach on Monday, August 21.

This all-electric, solar and battery-powered, beach-cleaning robot can sift through sand and remove small debris, including bits of litter and plastics, at an astonishing 32,000 square feet per hour without harming the native flora and fauna or degrading the habitat at the beach. The BEBOT’s work is crucial to preventing microplastics and pollution from entering Lake Tahoe where they can severely impact the water quality and clarity of the lake and the lake’s ecosystem. Once microplastics enter the lake, they are nearly impossible to remove. Across two summers of pilot testing, the BEBOT has proved it can serve as the last line of defense to keep beach litter out of Tahoe’s blue waters when used in combination with traditional cleanup efforts.

“The City of South Lake Tahoe is excited to partner with the Beach Retreat, ECO-CLEAN Solutions, and the League to Save Lake Tahoe in a joint effort to protect the lake. Microplastics continue to be a huge concern for Lake Tahoe, and we need to do everything possible to prevent any further harm. This new and innovative technology to clean beaches helps us move in the right direction to preserving Lake Tahoe and reinforces the City’s commitment towards promoting a culture of stewardship,” said John Stark, director of Parks and Recreation.

“In pilot testing last year, the BEBOT showed it can remove tiny, difficult to detect, hard to remove pieces of beach litter – like the trash that would otherwise become microplastics and find a permanent home in the lake,” said Laura Patten, senior science policy analyst for the League to Save Lake Tahoe. “This summer, with support from a team of community partners, the BEBOT is cleaning full beaches to see if the technology can be applied on a larger scale to Keep Tahoe Blue.”

“We are excited to continue to expand the BEBOT’s pilot testing to Conolley Beach. This deployment represents the importance of partnerships and shared stewardship in the Lake Tahoe Basin. We commend the City of South Lake Tahoe and Beach Retreat for their commitment to environmental sustainability in the region. This project would not be possible without support and advocacy from Keep Tahoe Blue,” noted JT Chevallier, co-founder and chief strategy officer of ECO-CLEAN Solutions.

“We are delighted to partner with the City of South Lake Tahoe, ECO-CLEAN Solutions, and the League to Save Lake Tahoe. The lake and our beach are such valuable resources to our community and the Beach Retreat is happy to play its part in its stewardship so future generations can enjoy Lake Tahoe’s majestic beauty,” said, Brittany Gregonis, director of sales for the Beach Retreat.

The public is invited to get a firsthand look at the BEBOT in action at Conolley Beach, located at the Beach Retreat, from 9 a.m. to roughly 10:30 a.m. ECO-CLEAN Solutions and the League to Save Lake Tahoe will conduct the beach cleaning and be on hand to answer questions about the BEBOT and how it operates.

Staff from the City of South Lake Tahoe, ECO-CLEAN Solutions, Beach Retreat, and the League will work together to ensure that data collected from this cleanup will bring awareness to recreating sustainably in Lake Tahoe. Information from this effort will become publicly available and be used for policy solutions aimed at litter prevention around the Basin.

To learn about the BEBOT, visit keeptahoeblue.org/bebot and eco-cleansolutions.com.