The City of Falls Church issued a statement this week asking citizens to move vehicles off the streets from 7 a.m. – 5 p.m. on the day their area of the City is scheduled for street sweeping, beginning July 10. Crews will be working to keep over 200 tons of debris from entering our local waterways. Residents can also use a broom or shovel and dustpan to sweep the gutter in front of residences when debris accumulates — including pollen, leaves, trash, and sediment. This is especially helpful in areas that routinely have cars parked on the street.

The July street sweeping schedule is subject to change for weather: Monday, July 10 and Tuesday, July 11: residential areas south of Broad St., Wednesday, July 12 and Thursday, July 13: residential areas north of Broad St., Commercial areas and municipal parking areas will be swept in the evening and overnight. The City has contracted with a new vendor this year. “Quiet Sweep” uses trucks that are known as “regenerative sweepers.” This technology uses forced air to create a swirling effect inside a contained sweeping head and then uses negative pressure to suck road debris off the street and dump it inside a hopper.

The F.C. Department of Public Works manages many projects and programs to protect City streams and the Chesapeake Bay from polluted runoff. In 2016, over 100 cubic yards of debris were removed from the system by cleaning catch basins, sediment traps and pipes. This is equivalent to a debris pile 27 feet long by 10 feet wide by 10 feet high.