Street Sweeping

Benefits

Streets, roads, highways and parking lots accumulate significant amounts of pollutants that contribute to stormwater pollutant runoff to surface waters. Pollutants can be minimized by street sweeping, including:

  • Debris
  • Road salt
  • Sediment
  • Trace metals
  • Trash
Street Sweeper

Aesthetic Benefits

Street sweeping can also improve the aesthetics of municipal roadways, control dust and decrease the accumulation of pollutants in catch basins. In the City of Owatonna, streets are swept at least twice a year, once in the spring, usually in April or May, and once in the fall, usually in November during the fall leaf cleanup. Sweeping occurs because it is imperative that the storm drains remain clear and unplugged.

Sweeping Information

  • The crews work in designated areas of the city and then move to the core area.
  • Yard clippings should never be raked or blown into the gutter.

Spring Sweepings

In an effort to keep the drains from plugging with the sand that is put down during the winter months, the City sweeps the streets in the Spring.

Fall Sweepings

The fall sweeping is intended to remove leaves that fall onto the streets, not leaves raked into the streets by homeowners. Please do not rake, pile, or blow debris, leaves, or tree branches into the street or the storm drain. Place leaves and yard trimmings in your green waste containers. This will prevent leaves and debris from clogging storm drains, which can lead to flooding.

During Spring and Fall cleanings, residents may submit a request for street sweeping by completing a Maintenance Request Form.

Ordinance

Raking leaves into the gutter is an illegal disposal and a violation of the Stormwater Management ordinance. Per the ordinance:

"No person shall intentionally dispose of leaves, dirt, or other landscape debris into a street, road, alley, catch basin, culvert, curb, gutter, inlet, ditch, natural watercourse, flood control channel, canal, storm drain or any fabricated natural conveyance"