Street flushing is increasingly being conducted in many cities in the Greater Toronto Area. Because of the very fast speed at which the GTA is developing, pollution control is becoming a growing concern for most of the residents in the area. Studies have acknowledged that the more progressive a community becomes, the greater the chances of it having several pollution problems. This is probably due to the greater density that obviously exists in bigger populations. The more people live in a certain area, the more the streets become littered and the more the surroundings are filled with unwanted pollutants.
The goal of street flushing is to make the city perfectly livable despite the increase in the number of its inhabitants. A healthy environment is a goal that should not be taken for granted. Street flushing should be a priority of local governments primarily because it promotes the good health and well-being of the residents. Since roads are public property, it is the job of provinces such as Ontario to make sure that diseases are not spread because of the lack of maintenance and the lack of attention paid to the cleanliness of the streets.
In the long run, street flushing leads to cleaner lakes, rivers and creeks. This is because the debris and trash that are found in the streets will eventually flow into these bodies of water when there are floods and excessive rainfall. The trash will never remain where it is. It will always find a way to contaminate the cleanliness and purity of nature. Therefore, garbage should be removed from the streets and be properly disposed of in order to avoid further pollution problems.
Whether it be spring, summer, fall or winter, the roads in urban areas like the province of Ontario get polluted by different types of matter. Sand and snow may both accumulate in the streets. Different types of debris such as fallen leaves may cause the clogging of drainages and the contamination of water systems and catch-basins. Street flushing therefore plays an important role in putting pollution under control. The equipments used in sweeping and flushing make use of sturdy nozzles which emit high-pressure water to remove the dirt and dust from the streets. This limits or even completely eradicates any possibility of the growth and spread of pollutants found in filthy roads.
Even when there is no manmade garbage in the streets, street flushing is still necessary to remove fallen leaves during the autumn season. Even the leaves that are already beginning to decompose may cause clogging in drainages and creeks in the area. The nutrients found in these leaves may also cause problems for nearby bodies of water. They may over-fertilize the waters in the rivers, lakes and creeks and thus cause the growth and spread of harmful water plants and algae. The waters will become filthy and very unfit for fishing and swimming. This will greatly affect the ecosystem in which the communities are located.
Street flushing does not only serve aesthetic purposes. It is a necessary requirement in promoting the health and welfare of the people. It is important to realize that it is very hard for people to live healthy lives if they are staying in a filthy, unlivable and unhygienic environment.