The cities and municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area emphasize the importance of road and parking lot cleaning in avoiding air pollution. The GTA have cleaning protocols that regulate cleaning so it is done in a way that have beneficial effects to both the environment and community.
Whether parking lot flushing and cleaning is a contract job or not, knowing how it should be done will help evaluate if it is being done correctly and effectively.
Parking Lot Cleaning: A Step-By-Step Process
In Ontario, street and parking lot cleaning vehicles are used instead of manual brooms. Initially, parking lot flushing is done especially if it is summer wherein dust control may become a problem. Without water, inhalable particulates will get air borne once the parking area is brushed.
New models of parking lot sweeping vehicles already have mounted sprayers which are located in front or at the side of brushers. Older models on the other hand, do not have mounted sprayers so parking lot flushing trucks pass over the area being cleaned before brushing vehicles do.
Brushing vehicles also follows a step-by-step process in cleaning parking areas. After the initial parking lot flushing, heavy duty brushes sweep the group for debris and dirt and gather them in an area which will be passed by suction tubes. This process however, differs a little depending on the type of brusher being used.
Regenerative air parking lot flushing and brushing vehicles use a high velocity air which loosens dirt and debris on the ground. This same air is used over and over again in a closed-loop system. After being pushed out of a tube located beside the brushes, the air is then suctioned by a force which causes the high velocity air to form. Loosened dirt and debris however, are suctioned along with it.
Once inside, the air, dirt and debris pass through a conveyor into the dust containment area or hopper. There, it is sprayed with water so debris and larger particles of dirt falls to the bottom. Smaller particles of dirt on the other hand, are sifted through cartridge filters and are separated from the air. The air goes back to the pressure chamber where it is once again pressurized to form a high velocity air.
While brushers are very effective in cleaning parking areas for debris and dirt, left out areas are unavoidable especially when there are parked cars during the time that brushing was done. And this is when parking lot flushing vehicles are used again. They give the parking lot another wash of water to take care of left out debris and dirt.
However, parking lot flushing that is done to take care of left out areas has its disadvantages. Dirt and debris that have been left out may contain toxic wastes which may end up in sewers. Eventually, they will cause pollution when water runoff is released into bodies of water.
To avoid this, everyone should participate in parking lot flushing and cleaning. When parking areas are scheduled to be cleaned or are restricted, no vehicles should be parked on them. In addition, metal objects like soda cans should be thrown in garbage bins only and not left on parking areas. These metal objects can ruin mechanical cleaning vehicles. Lastly, spilled fuel or lubricants should be cleaned when possible. These are very toxic wastes which can cause pollution in bodies of water when washed out by rain water.
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