The Department of Public Works begins street sweeping operations Wednesday. The monthly street sweeping run from April through December. In addition to neighborhood sweeping, city squares are cleaned daily by mechanical street sweepers and by hand crews.

“We’ve had a very severe winter, and with all of the snow a lot of debris has gathered and remains on sidewalks and in gutter lines. Some roadways may have snow within the parking lanes, and our crews will maneuver street sweeping equipment to clean in between snow piles to the extent possible. Unfortunately, we are not in a position to remove the remaining snow, crews are now being deployed for street and park maintenance, and there is an enormous amount of work that needs to be done in both of these areas.” said Owen O’Riordan, the city’s commissioner of Public Works. “The first month of street sweeping is critical, given that the streets have not been swept since last November/December.”

The street cleaning program plays an important role in the city’s stormwater management program. By sweeping up sand and other debris, catch basins are kept clean and able to function efficiently. This debris also contains heavy metal particles and chemicals that get deposited on roadways through the wear and tear of vehicle parts and leaking engine fluids, and so an effective street sweeping program also helps reduce a significant source of pollution to the Charles River and the Alewife Brook.

For information on street cleaning operations, click here or call the Department of Public Works at (617) 349-4800. Residents are encouraged to sign up for weekly email notifications on street cleaning in their neighborhood through the city’s Eline notification system . Updates are also available on Twitter and Facebook.