Community: ____________________________
Date: __________
Department: ____________________________
Tool Box Stormwater Pollution Prevention Talks
GOOD HOUSEKEEPING
PARKING LOT AND STREET SWEEPING
INTRODUCTION
Regularly sweeping of your streets and parking lots
minimizes the pollutants that enter the drainage
system. Sweeper debris can contain sediment,
leaves and other organic waste, trash, oil and
grease contamination, road salt and other pollutants
of concern.
All debris collected from street sweeping operations
must be properly disposed.
INSTALLATION
Questions for staff:
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Where should you dispose of debris collected from sweeping
operations?
What type of materials do you often find in sweeping debris?
What is the best time of year to sweep?
Discussion
There are three ways to sweep your streets and parking lots. Hand
sweeping which is labor intensive and time consuming. Conventional
mechanical broom and vacuum-assisted wet sweepers reduce pollution by
5 to 30 percent. Newer dry vacuum sweepers can reduce pollution by 35
to 80 percent.
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Sweepings must be disposed of at an Ohio EPA approved site. This
generally means it must be disposed of at a landfill. Municipal operations
can stockpile the sweepings at their maintenance facilities until they have
a sufficient load for hauling to the proper disposal area. If the debris is
stockpiled, it must be placed away from receiving waters and covered to
ensure that the pollutants don’t migrate to a storm drain, creek, river or
stream.
Timing of sweeping operations is important to minimize costs. During the
fall, sweeping removes the leaves within the roadway, thereby reducing
the debris entering the storm sewer system and reducing overall system
maintenance. Spring sweeping removes built up road salt, and pollutants
collected over the winter. Summer sweeping can clean sediment tracked
onto the roadway from construction operations.
Each year, the volume of debris collected from your sweeping operations
must be included in your annual report to Ohio EPA. This helps you meet
the requirements of the stormwater regulations.
POINTS TO REMEMBER
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Sweeping debris must be disposed of at an Ohio EPA approved site,
primarily a landfill.
Street sweeping can significantly reduce pollutants in the storm drainage
system.
Ohio EPA Stormwater Phase II regulations require regular street
sweeping.
ATTENDED BY:
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