February 05, 2009
Press Release
Sweeper Test Results Highlight Impact of Sweeping on Reducing Storm Water Pollution
ELGIN, IL – Elgin Sweeper,the leading manufacturer of street sweepers, has released results of a rigorous sweeper test performed by an independent group of storm water control experts, that demonstrate the efficiency of Elgin Sweeper street sweepers in removing storm water pollutants. The test was conducted on four Elgin Sweeper models – a prototype Crosswind NX high-performance filter regeneration sweeper with dust control, the regenerative air Crosswind, the vacuum Whirlwind MV and the mechanical Waterless Eagle FW.
“In today’s economy, everybody has to do more with fewer resources,” said Brian Giles, sweeper products manager at Elgin Sweeper.
“Municipalities are required to put best management practices in place to reduce storm water pollution, and many are using structural treatment devices like underground vaults and drain catch basin inserts that are expensive to install and maintain.” However municipalities are spending their money, Giles emphasized the importance of getting a measurable return. “From the standpoint of dollars per pound of pollutant removed from the storm water, these test results confirm what we already knew – that nothing comes close to matching the effectiveness of Elgin Sweeper street sweepers in removing storm water pollutants,” Giles added.
The sweeping industry has long been looking for a way to quantify repeatable effectiveness of sweepers on picking up street debris. “Over the last 20 years, several tests have been conducted to try to determine if street sweepers reduce storm water pollution,” Giles said. “A number of sweeper manufacturers are making claims about what their machines can do to reduce storm water pollution without any supporting data.”