Table Of ContentURBAN SEDIMENT REMOVAL
The Science, Policy, and
Management ofS treet Sweeping
URBAN SEDIMENT REMOVA L
The Science, Policy, and
Management ofS treet Sweeping
by
Robert Brinkmann
Department of Geography
Department ofE nvironmental Science and Policy
University ofS outh Florida
and
Graham A. Tobin
Department of Geography
University ofS outh Florida
SPRINGER SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Brinkman, Robert, 1961-
Urban sediment removal : the seienee, poliey, and management of street sweeping /
Robert Brinkman and Graham A. Tobin.
p.em.
Includes bibliographieal referenees and index.
ISBN 978-1-4613-5592-2 ISBN 978-1-4615-1515-9 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-4615-1515-9
1. Street cleaning. 1. Tobin, Graham A. II. Title.
TD813 .B75 2001
628.4'6----de21
2001042283
Copyright © 2001 Springer Science+Business Media New York
Origina1ly published by Kluwer Academic Publishers in 2001
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1 st edition 2001
AII rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, mechanical, photo
copying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the
publisher, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.
Printed on acid-free pap er.
For: Ronnie Hays, Charles D. Brinkmann,
Elizabeth Bird, Dan Tobin, and Tom Tobin
CONTENTS
Preface. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . IX
Acknowledgments .......................................... Xl
The Art And Science of Street Sweeping: An Introduction To
Urban Street Sweeping Management ........................ 1
2 Horses To Horse Power: The Development Of Street Sweeping
Practices .............................................. 9
3: Street Smart Innovations: Technological Change And The Modern
Street Sweeper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 23
4: The Waste Pile: Street Sweeping And Waste Management ....... 43
5: Clean Streets -Clean Waterways: Street Sweeping, Storm Water,
And Pollution Reduction ................................ 87
6: Roads Paved With Good Intentions: Street Sweeping Management
Practices .............................................. 121
7: The Road Not Taken: Recommendations For Research In Street
Sweeping ............................................. 145
References Cited ............................................ 159
Index ..................................................... 169
PREFACE
There is not an extensive literature on street sweeping. Much of the
research that has been completed exists in the "gray" area of technical
reports and government documents. Furthermore, a great deal of this
research is locally based, and has not been widely published. Indeed, our
review of the scientific literature, revealed that, while storm water quality
has received a lot of attention, few academicians have been involved in
street sweeping research per se. Thus, throughout our research into street
sweeper effectiveness, sweeping protocols, and sweeping practices, we
wished that there had been a book summarizing some of the important
issues associated with street sweeping. As our frustration grew, we realized
that we were uniquely poised to write such a book as our research had
encompassed a variety of different projects including sweeper testing, waste
management, and related storm water quality.
Also, early on in this exercise, we recognized that there was a
growing demand for information about street sweeping policies and
management, especially for studies focusing on the effectiveness of different
sweeping schedules, on waste management operations, and on non-point,
pollution reduction practices associated with storm water runoff. It was
abundantly clear that there was a profound lack of research on street
sweeping that could assist with developing local, regional, or national
policies. There was, in effect, little guidance for city managers on these
issues. We hope that this book will assist in evaluating some of these
concerns and we encourage others to begin research on this important topic.
We have aimed this book at a broad audience and certainly not just
academics looking at street sweeping. We hope that it will assist city
managers and street sweeping supervisors to understand better the
implications of their operations. We believe that the book will prove
particularly helpful at the local level by improving approaches to street
sweeping management and operations. We also anticipate that it will assist
with environmental and public policy decision-making related to street
sweeping. It seems that much of the public policy directed towards street
sweeping is conducted without a great deal of relevant information at hand
for policymakers. This information is essential to develop sound approaches
to street sweeping.
x Urban Sediment Removal
Not only will this book assist individuals involved with policy
making and day-to-day operations of street sweeping, it will also be useful
to academicians, environmental agencies, civil engineers, and environmental
consulting firms involved with street sweeping research. We have seen a
growth in the need for academic research in the area over the last few years,
so in our fmal chapter, we have provided a comprehensive summary of
research questions that should be addressed by researchers. We sincerely
hope that this list will be noticed by local, state, and federal agencies in
developing their street sweeping research agendas.
Our approach in this book is far reaching. In the introductory
chapter, we put forward a framework through which one might investigate
issues of street sweeping, and outline some of the major concerns. The
following chapter provides a brief review of the history of street sweeping
and the evolving concerns over dirty roads, with a particular focus on how
technological developments have led to the modem street sweeper. The third
chapter summarizes some of the characteristics of the more commonly used
types of street sweepers. In the fourth chapter, we examine the various
issues associated with waste management, especially what to do with the
sediments collected during routine sweeping operations. The fifth chapter
analyzes the effectiveness of street sweeping in improving storm water
quality, and the sixth chapter reviews the various management approaches to
street sweeping in the United States. As noted above, we conclude the book
with a chapter on research goals for the future.
Throughout the book, we have attempted to provide a geographical
approach to the problem, while noting the unique nature of specific case
studies, particularly those undertaken in Florida. As geographers, we look
at street sweeping research, in part, as falling in line with our discipline's
tradition of exploration. In the past few decades our planet has become
known in great detail and there are very few stones untumed. As modern
day explorers, we find ourselves looking in unusual directions for inquiry.
We also see street sweeping research rooted firmly within geography's
human-land tradition. Street sweeping is one way that humans interact with
their environment, especially the city. Street sweeping sediment is
somewhat like mobile archaeological deposits that can tell us a great deal
about ourselves and about our society. Street sweeping research also fits
well with the tradition of applied geography. Indeed, this book has
demonstrated the importance of conducting research on the geographic
implications of street sweeping to assist communities in more effectively
managing their operations. We hope you enjoy this book.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors would like to thank our friends and colleagues who
provided assistance with the various projects that led to this book. First and
foremost, we would like to thank the street sweeping crews in the City of
Tampa who helped with many facets of the project. The supervisor of these
crews, Darryl Anderson, was of particular help and his knowledge of the
topic at hand was invaluable throughout. We would also like to thank the
City of Tampa firefighting crew at Davis Island Fire Station #17. Susan
Moore of the District 7 Florida Department of Transportation was always
supportive as was Tim Kelly and Allan Schreiber ofBCI, and Betty Rushton
of the Southwest Florida Water Management District in Florida. We are
grateful for the support of the Florida Department of Transportation District
7, the Florida Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management, and the
University of South Florida. Throughout, Jayajit Chakraborty, Fredericka
Williams, Jeffrey Ryan, and Nicole Brunson, all from the University of
South Florida, were of great assistance in a variety of ways. Finally, there
are our student assistants: John Barco, Mark Billus, Melissa Del Masto,
Chris Emrich, Mark Hafen, Alison Ringholz, Ryan Tickles, Ivan Savov,
Jamillah Vasquez, Shamik Shah, and Aaron Vogt, who were most helpful
often going above and beyond the call of duty.
Looking to the past, we must also thank all those who inspired us.
In particular, Brinkmann would like to note that it was the late Dr. Robert
Eidt who stressed the importance of studying the geographic patterns of
chemicals on the landscape. Also, the faculty in the Geology Department at
the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh (1979-1982) provided an amazing
undergraduate educational experience that grounded Brinkmann in an
appreciation for fieldwork and a love of the natural world. Tobin would like
to acknowledge the support of those scholars who have influenced his
academic progress over many years, including, Keith Smith, Burrell Montz,
Rajagopal, and Rex Honey.
And, of course, our enthusiasm for street sweeping has been
promoted over the years by Helen Turner, Tom Duff, Dick Durst, Harry
Hellenbrand, John Mearns, Annie Mearns, Richard Ogden, Ray Spencer,
Tom Newton, and Rick Stusse.
1 THE ART AND SCIENCE OF STREET
SWEEPING: AN INTRODUCTION TO
URBAN STREET SWEEPING
MANAGEMENT
If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep
streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven
composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should
sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth
will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper that did
his job well.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
INTRODUCTION
The sentiments expressed by Dr. Martin Luther King in reference to
street sweepers are pertinent in several ways. At one level, the expectation
is that all members of society, whatever their calling, should strive to attain
levels of excellence. In this case, King compares the work of street
sweepers to that of Michelangelo, Beethoven, and Shakespeare, all three
exceptional artistes within their respective fields. Street sweepers, therefore,
just like these artistes, should seek to perform their jobs to the benefit of
society, and have pride in their accomplishments. In this way, street
sweeping itself can be viewed as an art form, raising societal perspectives
and community spirit through a reduction in the visual blight of human
wastes. The art of street sweeping, then, is in the aesthetic improvement in
the urban environment.
At a secondary level, King refers to a job well done. Certainly,
Michelangelo, Beethoven, and Shakespeare more than succeeded in their
work, and so too can the street sweeper. Sweeping streets for the betterment
of society requires specific skills and considerable effort if it is to be
successful. However, the task of the street sweeper has other important
ramifications for society that go far beyond those of simple aesthetic
considerations. Human health, environmental qualitY, and pollution control,
2 Urban Sediment Removal
for example, are all inextricably linked to street sweeping. In essence, the
street sweeper holds a critical key to the sustainability of urban society.
Here then is the science of street sweeping; the cleaning of the urban
environment is directly related to the quality of life.
At yet another level, King's statement suggests that all workers,
whatever their station in life, who achieve such levels of excellence, should
be held in high esteem by others for doing their jobs well. Michelangelo,
Beethoven, and Shakespeare may command the attention of society, but
others are just as deserving, and no task would seem too menial in this
regard. Indeed, street sweepers have earned this respect. Their role may be
minimized or unappreciated, and their activities undertaken in the cloak of
darkness, but their significance to society truly falls within the realms of art
and science. The city is a better place because of the stalwarts of street
sweeping. One has only to travel to urban settlements in less wealthy
nations, where street sweeping is regarded as a luxury, to realize the vast
benefits afforded American society by street sweepers.
In spite of the importance of street sweeping, most people have the
impression that street sweeping is undertaken only occasionally to clean
roads and improve their appearance. What most people do not know,
however, is that most communities have highly organized systems of street
sweeping with well-planned schedules and operating protocols. In fact,
sweeping operations are typically managed out of municipal public works
organizations, although there are also private street sweeping companies.
Every day, hundreds of fleets of street sweepers all across America clean
and wash streets. These fleets have a significant impact on the urban and
surrounding environment by removing tons of sediment and debris from the
roads every day. Indeed, pedestrians and commuters would be in contact
with much of this material in traveling to and from work if it was not for
street sweepers.
Furthermore, if the litter and wastes are not removed from the roads,
then there is a danger that they could enter the storm water system where
they would eventually co-mingle with surface water bodies. In fact, street
sweeping greatly modifies the surface processes in cities by removing
sediment and other debris from drainage systems. Without such street
cleaning, then, natural water bodies are susceptible to contamination from
all sorts of pollutants generated by human activities
The story does not end there for the street sweeping process itself
spawns yet another concern, namely how to manage the tons of sediment
that is collected daily. In the past, these wastes were often treated as a clean
material being deposited as fill dirt in low areas or used to replace sediment
eroded from road surfaces. In recent years, however, there have been
changes in the way this sweeping waste is managed. Some communities
