Clean Streets in Alameda County Pave the Way to Clean Water in the San Francisco Bay

Provided by the Alameda County Clean Water Program

It’s 6am in Alameda County – do you know where your street sweeper is?

Unfortunately, too many Alameda County residents don’t and leave their cars parked, blocking the path of street sweepers.

The Alameda County Clean Water Program wants to warn residents that the result is a growing problem with pollution of local creeks and the San Francisco  Bay.

Street sweeping, which originally started as an effort to “Keep America Beautiful,” 
is responsible for removing litter, leaves and other contaminants from the streets and gutters. This, in turn, reduces the amount of pollutants that get washed into the County’s storm drain system and travel untreated into the Bay.

In the fall when leaves start to drop, the need for street sweeping increases. The leaves frequently block storm drain outlets and cause flooding. Leaves also soak up motor oil, auto emissions, trash and other contaminants. When the leaves are washed into the storm drain, these pollutants flow into the Bay untreated, contributing to the problem of urban unoff pollution. For every car that obstructs a street sweepers’ path, more than 50 feet of street is left unswept.

Residents can help by becoming aware of their neighborhood street sweeping schedule by checking their city website or contacting their city maintenance 
department, and parking off the street whenever possible. 
           
Visit here for more tips on preventing stormwater pollution.