The Industrial Revolution in the 1800’s did a lot for the development of our country. However, one unintended consequence of the development of manufacturing was the increase in pollutants in the air. The debris manufacturing industries generated eventually settled onto the roads, and then rain washed into streams that supplied drinking water, and made people very sick. As this critical problem was identified, so began the regular cleaning of the roads.


Initially, road clean up was conducted by hand with brooms. Eventually more efficient horse-drawn buggies with rotating sweeping disks were put into use. Finally, a mechanical street sweeper was patented by C.S. Bishop in 1849 and the technology has continued to improve since then. In modern days, power sweeping equipment is mounted to heavy duty trucks and include vacuums that remove even the tiniest debris from the roads.


Many business owners and Homeowners Associations find utilizing contract sweeping services for trash clean up on their roads and parking lots both a civic responsibility and important for business.


Street Sweeping Increases Curb Appeal to Potential Customers


Everyone knows the value of a good first impression. In the business world, this translates into a well maintained road and parking lot that leads customers in. Conversely, if the area in front of a business is cluttered with debris and poorly cleaned, potentially customers will assume the interior of the business has similar poor hygiene.


Likewise, the feeling of the community is one of the biggest factors a potential home buyer considers when looking at a house. If the neighborhood roads are neglected and covered with litter, the home buyer will lose interest in the house before they even see it.


A Clean Parking Lot and Roadway Prevents Expensive Repairs


Debris on the roads lead to clogged storm drains and heavy rains cannot flow through the storm facilities properly. Clogged storm drains make the threat of flooding likely and floods are a leading cause of costly property damage. Scheduling monthly contract sweeping services will keep large pieces of trash and pollutants out of the storm drains so that they can flow properly in case of heavy rains.


Street Sweepers Keep Chemicals and Pollutants Out of the Runoff That Ends Up in Our Water Supply


The National Water Quality Inventory recently reported that runoff from roads in urban areas is the biggest source of pollutants in the water supply. These pollutants include toxic chemicals from cars and trucks, agricultural pesticides, harmful viruses and bacteria from leaky septic systems, and particles from heavy metals on the roads. Modern trucks used by contract sweeping services can effectively cleanse the roads of both large debris and microscopic pollutants that would otherwise end up in our water supply.