Keeping water cleaner: New street sweeper has message for Lake County residents

Sweeping removes pollutants and helps protect waterways, transportation officials say

Besides cleaning, the Lake County Division of Transportation’s new street sweeper will be sharing a message with residents.

“We took the opportunity to kind of rebrand this,” explained Shane Schneider, director of transportation/county engineer.

“Cleaner Streets” and “Cleaner Water” in green and blue decals, respectively, are prominently featured and share space with images of trees and water.

LCDOT’s maintenance team and sign shop took the initiative to use the graphics from “Adopt a Highway” signs, Schneider said.

Three rounds of sweeping are done every year. About 420 yards of debris is collected per sweeping and brought to public works and LCDOT drying beds and then disposed, according to LCDOT.

“The reason we are doing the street sweeping is to remove pollutants and debris off the roadway and that keeps the waters cleaner,” Schneider reported this week to the county board’s public works and transportation committee.

It’s part of the clean water initiatives LCDOT has with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in accordance with the federal Clean Water Act, and the graphics will help share the mission, he added.

“People kind of get the message of why we’re doing it,” Schneider said.

Street sweeping keeps leaves and garbage out of sewer inlets and stormwater systems and is considered a stormwater management best practice, said LCDOT spokesman Alex Carr.

Pollutants like sediment, bacteria, chemicals and metals are removed before they are carried into waterways, he added.

The new sweeper has eco-infused technology, meaning only a single engine is utilized to both drive it and activate the sweeper. This reduces waste compared to dual-engine models and reduces emissions, he added.

The street sweeping program generally starts at the end of March when temperatures are above 35 degrees and ends in November, he said. The $363,000 2024 Elgin Whirlwind 1 debuted last week.

Sweeping is done on county roads with curb and gutter, center and barrier medians, center turn and bike lanes, in front of guardrails and on wider road shoulders as needed. The county highway system is 900 lane miles, Carr noted.

The sweeper responds to emergency spills such as glass, dirt or gravel and also sweeps for some townships and municipalities. Because the sweeper is too heavy, a smaller piece of equipment is used on bike paths, Carr said.