New Newport Street Sweeper is a Water Pollution Fighter

A new street sweeper will be making the rounds in Newport in the ongoing battle against water pollution.

What do clean streets have to do with clean water?

All that sand and grit that accumulates on the street ends up in Narragansett Bay, Easton’s Bay and Almy Pond.

Routine sweeping sucks up suspended solids, oil and nitrogen.

A recent study in by the Maryland Department of Environmental Protection showed that reductions of 5 to 30 percent for solids and 5 to 24 percent for nitrogen were seen as a result of routine use of mechanical sweepers.

For Newport, the new sweeper will enable the city to speed up its four-month sweeping cycle from April through July and “may allow the DPW to sweep streets in critical watershed areas, such as Almy Pond, a second time each year,” according to the city’s application for a grant through the state Department of Environmental Management.

That application ended up being accepted and Newport was awarded $141,000, which covers half of the funding associated with the new street sweeper, according to a city news release.

While nearly $250,000 would seem like a lot for a truck rigged with a vacuum and swirling brushes, no Bentley or Lamborghini can brag about reducing water pollution. Nor can they boast the Elgin Whirlwind’s ability to cope with uneven road surfaces, porous surfaces (hello Thames Street!) and a 355 water tank that deliver water through a pump at a rate of eight gallons per minute.

Polluted sediment makes its way into the bay through the drainage system, discharging in various water bodies and eventually ending up in the bay.

By increasing the fleet, Newport expects to shave a third off the time it takes to clean up after the winter. Each day with less gunk on the street is one less day of possible rains washing stuff into the sea.

The city matched the DEM grant with funds in the Public Works Department equipment replcement fund.

The Newport City Council authorized the purchase in July.