NYC uses giant 'snow melters' to battle massive piles
The machines are like giant hot tubs that can melt 240,000 pounds of snow every hour.
The machines are like giant hot tubs that can melt 240,000 pounds of snow, or 120 tons, every hour.
Giant hot tubs have popped up in each borough as the city Sanitation Department introduces the latest method of getting rid of the more than 12 inches of snow that fell last weekend.
"Due to the cold temperatures, we have initiated snow melting operations, which we haven't done for quite some time," said acting DSNY Commissioner Javier Lojan.
The last time the city broke out these machines was in 2021, following the previous largest snowfall that hit the city.
DSNY officials said they are hauling snow that they piled around the boroughs to the "snow melter" machines.
The melted snow is then emptied into the city's sewer system where it is treated by the Department of Environmental Protection.
Eight snow melters were deployed to the boroughs, one in the Bronx and two in Brooklyn.
"Our priorities right now are areas where we have bus routes. We are going to answer some areas that have residential neighborhoods... where our priority right now is to get the bus routes open, because we want to make sure that people can get on off the busses and get to work and school more easily," said Lojan.
The temperatures will continue to remain freezing for the next several days.
