In 2014, the City purchased a Schewarze Freightliner A7 sweeper truck. The purpose and intent of the sweeper truck serves as a critical component of the stormwater maintenance network. Sweeper trucks remove dirt and debris from the curbline in an attempt to keep these materials from entering the stormwater system. Organic material such as tree limbs, leaves, and grass clippings, if left to enter the network, will oxidize and decompose releasing soluble nutrients into the water column. This surcharge of nutrient loading significantly impacts water quality in the receiving water bodies of the Intracoastal. In addition, dirt and debris entering the network will clog pores of exfiltration trenches which shortens their useful life, decreases efficacy, and increases maintenance costs.
The purchase of the Global M4 will decrease the down time of dumping debris to East Central Regional Water Reclamation Facility drying beds, which is a 22 mile round trip. The City will be able to dump the debris into roll off dumpsters which should save a significant amount of disposal dump fees or into a dump truck so the sweeper can resume sweeping.
The Global M4 is a non-CDL vehicle which broadens the usage among personnel. It operates at 76 dBA level, just short of the sound of a garbage disposal at 80 dBA level. This is ideal considering early morning or night sweeping activity.
The street sweeping system’s primary goal is to improve water quality by reducing pollutants in stormwater runoff. The Stormwater Master Plan identified street sweeping as a key activity for the operation and maintenance of the City of Riviera Beach stormwater system. Street sweeping is recognized as a Best Management Practice (BMP) as part of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements that apply to the City of Riviera Beach with respect to stormwater. Streets and parking lots accumulate pollutants that contribute to stormwater pollutant runoff to surface waters. Pollutants, including sediment, debris, trash and trace metals can be minimized by street sweeping. Street sweeping can also control dust and decrease the accumulation of pollutants in catch basins.
Further, street sweeping serves to improve the appearance of the City of Riviera Beach in general and in particular the aesthetics of municipal roadways. Streets that are swept on a regular cycle support the removal of litter and other debris from curb to curb (area within the curb limits of the street including medians, intersections and street ends).
The Public Works Department determines the final conduct of sweeping services to include the scheduling and suspension or cancellation of such operations for any given period or time. As such, street sweeping operations are not performed during moderate to heavy rainfall seasons and events.