Keep debris out of leaves

RUSSELLVILLE – Leaf collection is an annual chore for municipal governments, and there is one message Street Department officials have for residents: Keep rocks, bricks and sticks out of your leaf piles.

The vacuum system that sucks leaves off the street or yards has an impeller that can be severely damaged if it sucks in a large object that damages the blades.

The most significant cause of damage is the presence of foreign objects mixed within leaf piles. The high-speed impellers and vacuum components are designed only for loose, light organic material. When other items are collected, they can cause:

• Impeller and Fan Damage: Hard objects like rocks, bricks, or large branches hitting the high-speed fan blades can chip, bend, or break the impellers, leading to costly repairs and equipment downtime.

• Clogged Hoses and Intakes: Twigs, large sticks, and other bulky items can easily plug the vacuum’s intake and hoses, hindering efficiency and requiring manual clearing.

• Hose and Seal Breakage: The impact of hard debris can also damage the internal lining of the hoses or compromise seals, leading to air leaks and loss of suction power.

• The damage could take a leaf truck out of commission for a day or more, and that leaves one piece of equipment short during a busy time. The heaviest months for leaf collections are late November and early December, but Russellville’s Street Department crews will continue picking up leaves until February.

“Weareplanningonstarting our leaf pickup this week and run through the end of February,” Russellville Street Department Manager Shannon Wilson said.

He said the department runs a route using a vacuum truck and trailer.

“We will start on one end of town and work our way around until we get to the other end and then start over again until we have them all up,” Wilson said of the collection process.

Residents are also asked to rake their leaves as close to the road as possible, but not in the gutter.

“We don’t require them [leaves] to be bagged, but they need to be at the curbside where the truck can reach them and not placed under powerlines or too close to mailboxes or any other obstructions.”