Street sweeping is identified by the Environmental Protection Agency as a Best Management Practice (BMP) for water quality control improvement. Street sweeping removes trash and debris, as well as sediment, fertilizers, heavy metals and floatable material before it can reach our oceans.
Since the County began the local street sweeping program in July, 2000 over 8,000,000 pounds of street waste and debris has been sent to the dump rather than to our ocean. The enforcement of no parking during street sweeping operations allows the sweeper to collect all this debris. During a limited study approximately 100 pounds of street waste was collected per mile swept. This included green waste (99%) and human generated waste (1%) like paper, motor oils, fuels, copper, zinc (most likely from automotive use), cigarette butts, oils and greases.
The County of Orange contracts out the street sweeping to different vendors, including cities. By obeying the "No Parking for Street Sweeping" signs we all are participating in protecting our beaches and ocean from further pollution. Thanks for your help.
If you notice debris on a county street, you may submit a service request or contact the OC Operations & Maintenance office at (714) 955-0200.
