Who doesn’t enjoy seeing the leaves on trees change colors as the weather starts to turn in the fall? And who doesn’t dread the idea of raking all those leaves a few weeks later, when, shed by the trees, they gather on lawns, sidewalks, and streets. Typically, we rake our leaves, bag them, and leave them by the curb on garbage pickup day. Vacuum trucks used by many cities in the fall and winter months have changed this equation a bit – and made the work just a little easier for homeowners.
In a very informal survey of several people at Dynamic Filtration’s facility, we heard tales of fifty, sixty, or even more bags of leaves gathered at peak foliage time. The use of municipal vacuum trucks can eliminate this costly, wasteful, and, let’s face it, just plain annoying step. Towns are now directing residents to rake their leaves in piles near the curb, for direct pickup by a vacuum truck. Even when this method is used, there are still a few safety measures to keep in mind:
- Keep leaves out of the street – wet leaves are one of the biggest driving hazards.
- Don’t rake leaves near fire hydrants.
- Make sure that drains and sewers are also clear of leaves until pickup occurs.
As you might imagine, leaf pickup also includes lots of other debris – dust, dirt, tree branches, and more. Filters are an important part of vacuum truck construction, as they keep this foreign material from encountering the truck’s pump, wearing down the components and reducing efficiency and speed, which is important when you’re picking up 1,591 tonnes of leaves, as the city of Cambridge, ON did last year! In the meantime, try and enjoy that crisp fall air, and look forward to some piping hot cider at the end of your yard work.
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