Issued by City of York Council
City of York Council is harnessing the latest cleaning technology to help keep the city looking its best.
A new suction sweeper has just hit the streets. Manoeuvred by an operator walking behind it, the machine pulverises and compacts waste by two thirds, and is nimble enough to use on busy streets.
While it might tackle extra waste following busy days in the city centre, equally it can suck up and squash autumn leaves, giving it year-round functionality.
To add to its cleaning armoury, council staff are trialling a combined street washer and scrubber. This machine can wash but also scrub pavements and hard surfaces if stains are too engrained to be shifted by water jetting or sweeping.
It absorbs waste water using a full width sponge which means that dirt and debris removed during cleaning don’t end up in the public drainage system but can be disposed of safely. The scrubbing attachment can be changed in around a minute to turn the machine into a sweeper or a mower.
The council’s remote-controlled bank mower comes into its own when the Bar Wall embankments need cutting. The grass cutter has caterpillar-style wheels and will work on slopes of up to 45 degrees which would otherwise be very slow or potentially dangerous to mow.
The remote control system is the only one on the market to have a two-way communication system. This makes it possible to get information on how steep the slope is as well as how efficiently the machine engine is working, from a range of up to 800 metres which means the operator does not have to clamber up the steep slopes to stay in range.
Councillor David Levene, City of York Council’s Cabinet Member for Environmental Services, said: “Smarter York aims to help maintain a clean, green and safe environment for York.
Keeping abreast of and exploiting new technology – such as the solar-powered compactor bins being used across the city and the Smarter York app – helps us do just that at a time of economic challenge when we need to make the most of all our resources.”
For more information please visit Smarter York or follow @SmarterYork on Twitter. Residents can report instances of anti-social fly-tipping, graffiti or dog fouling by calling 01904 551551 or emailing the council and can download the Smarter York mobile phone application from all app stores.
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