Biloxi to Finally Get New Street Sweeper
Advance Sweeper to Help Keep Gutters Clear

by Keith Burton - GCN    5/29/08

Hurricane Katrina took out more than homes and lives on the Coast, the hurricane also ended Biloxi's street sweeping contract with a service vendor. Since the hurricane, the city's roadways have suffered and have added to the unkempt look of the city, even in areas in good shape. But the city is now close to solving that problem, according to Vincent Creel, the city's information manager contacted by GCN.

The city’s new street sweeper is expected to arrive from the manufacturer within the next 10 days, and will go into service immediately after any necessary operator training.

The Biloxi City Council, acting on a request from the mayor, approved the $174,000 purchase of a new street sweeper on April 15. The order was placed that month and Schwarze Industries, a Huntsville, Ala., manufacturer, began building the sweeper.

The sweeper itself will be a Schwarze Model A9000, which is a heavy duty, chassis-mounted regenerative air sweeper with a 9.6 cubic yard hopper. The A9000 was introduced in 2003 and its basic design is build from the Schwarze A7000, which has had over 15 years of successful operation throughout the United States and around the world.

The A9000's blower system generates a high velocity air column, which is propelled into the top of the sweeping head through a 14-inch blast tube. The air is first pressurized in the upper chamber of the sweeping head, then expelled into the head's lower chamber through what is called a "blast orifice". This is a slot in the sweeping head that forces the air against the pavement at an angle, creating a "peeling" or "knifing" effect. This high volume air blast loosens the debris from the pavement surface, then transports it across the width of the sweeping head and lifts it into the containment hopper via a 14-inch suction tube.

Prior to the storm, the city had contracted with a  firm to handle street-sweeping duties. That agreement ended with the storm because the streets were so damaged and debris-filled.

"I’m unsure whether the company is even still in business," Creel told GCN. "Sometime after the storm, a used street sweeper was donated to the city, which we used until its age and wear made it unusable."

When the new street sweeper arrives, the city is going to publish a street-sweeping schedule on a weekly basis. Street sweeping is limited to those streets with curbs and gutters because rain washes the dirt off streets without curbs and gutters.

In these post-Katrina days street sweeping may not seem like a big deal, but it is to any city that seeks to be a community that attracts millions of visitors. Now, Biloxi residents within the city can hope for the city to build curbs and sidewalks in areas that are lacking and should be in place.

Gulfport has had operational sweepers working in its city since the hurricane.

Related:

Weeds and Streets - GCN Editorial from Aug. 12, 2007