As New York City grapples with a lingering winter, an unconventional yet effective solution is being deployed to thaw its frozen streets. The city's sanitation department has turned to massive hot tubs – some capable of melting up to 120 tons of snow per hour – to speed up the clearing process.
The operation, which has been in use for over two decades, involves dump trucks hauling snow from collection sites throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, before it is lifted and dumped into the large hot tubs. The machines then spew out melted water into the sewers. Sanitation officials have described this method as an "elaborate snow-melting operation."
The city's fleet of eight such hot tubs has been deployed to help thaw the heavy snow that has obstructed streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, and bus stops since Sunday. Acting Sanitation Commissioner Javier Lojan warned that if the department doesn't clear the snow, it could sit for a while, causing problems.
To further support the effort, the city has brought in 500 emergency snow shovelers to clear sidewalks and bus stops on a temporary basis. However, some residents are growing frustrated with the slow pace of progress, citing hazardous conditions at crosswalks that have remained unchanged for days since the storm.
The blizzard claimed over 10 lives as frigid temperatures gripped the city. Amidst the chaos, sanitation department spokesperson Joshua Goodman emphasized that property owners bear responsibility for clearing most of the city's sidewalks. However, many residents like Victoria Azarian are forced to take alternative routes or wait longer than usual to clear their cars.
The mayor has acknowledged the need for more efficient snow removal methods and expressed openness to exploring new solutions in the future. While dumping snow directly into the river is not a viable option due to contamination concerns, the city's efforts remain an example of creative problem-solving in the face of winter's fury.
The operation, which has been in use for over two decades, involves dump trucks hauling snow from collection sites throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, before it is lifted and dumped into the large hot tubs. The machines then spew out melted water into the sewers. Sanitation officials have described this method as an "elaborate snow-melting operation."
The city's fleet of eight such hot tubs has been deployed to help thaw the heavy snow that has obstructed streets, sidewalks, crosswalks, and bus stops since Sunday. Acting Sanitation Commissioner Javier Lojan warned that if the department doesn't clear the snow, it could sit for a while, causing problems.
To further support the effort, the city has brought in 500 emergency snow shovelers to clear sidewalks and bus stops on a temporary basis. However, some residents are growing frustrated with the slow pace of progress, citing hazardous conditions at crosswalks that have remained unchanged for days since the storm.
The blizzard claimed over 10 lives as frigid temperatures gripped the city. Amidst the chaos, sanitation department spokesperson Joshua Goodman emphasized that property owners bear responsibility for clearing most of the city's sidewalks. However, many residents like Victoria Azarian are forced to take alternative routes or wait longer than usual to clear their cars.
The mayor has acknowledged the need for more efficient snow removal methods and expressed openness to exploring new solutions in the future. While dumping snow directly into the river is not a viable option due to contamination concerns, the city's efforts remain an example of creative problem-solving in the face of winter's fury.
. I mean, what's next? Using giant heaters on the Brooklyn Bridge to thaw ice jams? And don't even get me started on the environmental impact... all that water going into the sewers? Not exactly eco-friendly, if you ask me 
.
.
. The hot tub solution is actually kinda genius! I mean, who would've thought to use giant tubs of warm water to melt all that snow? It's great to see the city trying out new ideas to get back to normal. But omg, 120 tons of snow per hour? That's insane 
! And yeah, it's frustrating when you're stuck waiting for someone to clear your sidewalk or car. I feel for the emergency snow shovelers, though - they must be shoveling non-stop! 
.
I'm so done with all this snow! Like, New York City is literally a hot tub party right now 
. But seriously, 120 tons of snow per hour? That's crazy talk! The city needs to step up its game and figure out a more efficient way to clear the streets. It's like, how long until we're done clearing sidewalks again? Like yesterday? 
. But on a more positive note, I love that the sanitation department is being creative with the hot tubs – it's like they're thinking outside the box (or snow-filled streets) 
.
.
can't believe they're using hot tubs to melt snow... like what's next? 
I mean, it's kinda genius that it works though, 120 tons per hour is a crazy amount of snow! But seriously, how does the city plan to pay for all these hot tubs? It can't be cheap maintaining them and staffing them with people. And what about when the winter isn't as bad? Are they gonna just leave them sitting there wasting water and electricity? 
.