FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The City’s newest street sweeper not only cleans streets, but acts as a high-impact mobile billboard to remind citizens of their role in keeping Ozarks waterways clean.
“The ‘Working together to protect our streams one mile at a time,’ message and graphics, were chosen to highlight the relationship between clean streets and water quality in our streams, rivers, and lakes,” says Water Quality Coordinator Carrie Lamb. “Streets and storm drains flow directly into our waterways, unlike indoor sewer drains which carry sewage to the wastewater treatment plant.”
The sweeper, a $290,000 Elgin Whirlwind, is the sixth in the City’s fleet of sweepers. The new model offers an additional safety feature and is environmentally friendly, according to Public Grounds Maintenance Supervisor Bryan Loughrige.
“This is our first sweeper with a back-up camera that has audio, and it is also equipped with a Tier 3 engine,” Loughrige says. “The Tier 3 program is part of a comprehensive approach to reducing the impacts of motor vehicles on air quality and public health. The program considers the vehicle and its fuel as an integrated system, setting new vehicle emissions standards and lowering the sulfur content of gasoline, beginning in 2017.”
In addition to keeping roadways clean and safe, street sweeping removes dirt and debris that would otherwise end up in waterways, impacting water quality.
“Citizens play an important role in keeping waterways clean by keeping pollution out of streets and storm drains, and by reporting pollution,” Lamb said. “A common pollution problem in our area is citizens blowing or sweeping leaves, grass clippings or other yard waste into the street or the storm drains. Yard waste gets washed downstream, degrading the quality of waterways by adding excess nutrients that turn the water green and lead to algae blooms.”
Citizens are encouraged to report pollution by calling the Citizen Resource Center at 864-1010, Lamb said.
Street sweeper side view
Street sweeper back view
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For more information, please contact Carrie Lamb at 864-1996 or Bryan Loughrige at 864-1451.