Saugus making a clean sweep of street dust

SAUGUS – Dusty streets should soon be a thing of the past as the street sweepers are getting ready to roll.Unlike last year when only the main streets were done, Town Manager Andrew Bisignani said all the streets will be swept this year.Bisignani ruefully acknowledged the complaints he received over last year’s program and said this year was truly a matter of public safety.”There is so much sand out there it’s a safety hazard,” he said.Public Works Superintendent Joseph Attubato said the streets haven’t been truly properly done for two years.Much of the increased sand, Attubato said is because he used more sand than salt this winter to try to cut costs. With a half a dozen good size snow storms this winter, that sand has been piling up.Attubato said that sand, if not swept up, then finds its way into catch basins, storm drains and manholes, which can lead to flooding problems.Bisignani said the abundant sand poses a secondary hazard for cars. Should drivers hit their brakes too hard, he said they could easily skid or slid on the sand, which could prove dangerous.Along with local concerns, the state Department of Environmental Protection is also coming down on communities across the state to clean up their streets. Bisignani said the DEP recommends cities and towns sweep the streets a minimum of twice a year but is mandating at least once.”I am happy to announce that we’ll be doing this and hopefully it will be done to everyone’s satisfaction,” he said. “If anyone has any specific concerns they can call the DPW.”The Department of Public Works can be reached at 781-231-4145.Attubato said the sweeping should start as early as this week, the roads will be done by precinct and, weather permitting, should be finished in four to six weeks.”Then we have to make sure the catch basins are cleared out properly and the storm drains flushed out,” Attubato said. “If we don’t get all that sand and salt out it eventually ends up in the river, the brooks and streams and tributaries and it’s pollution n it’s not good for them either.”