The Department of Public Works (DPW) is responsible for street sweeping.  Every spring, sweeping begins on the main lines of the city, followed by side streets on a ward-by ward basis. The schedule rotates every year, so that the first ward done in one year is moved to the bottom of the list in the following year.

Please keep in mind that the schedule is subject to change due to weather or equipment problems. In 2018, DPW is accelerating the schedule by adding a night shift from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. (Monday - Thursday nights) in addition to the usual shift from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and by adding an additional sweeper.  The night shift enables DPW to complete sweeping streets in June instead of August, resulting in a cleaner city, less sand in the catch basins, less sand in the stormwater system that gets deposited in the brooks and Nashua River, and less sand in combined sewers that travels to the wastewater treatment plant where it must be removed.  This will also bring the city into compliance with the new EPA stormwater permit. 
 

Yearly Schedule- WEATHER PERMITTING

The REVISED 2018 schedule includes:
  

• Ward 2: April 9 - April 20 Complete   
• Ward 3: April 23 - May 4 Complete   
• Ward 4: April 30 - May 7 Complete    
• Ward 5: May 7 - May 14    
• Ward 6: May 15 - May 22    
• Ward 1: May 23 - June 6      

Residents are asked to sweep sidewalks in front of their homes.  Sand should be placed in wind rows- not in piles-  so that the equipment can successfully remove it.