Aberdeen has adopted a new tactic in the battle to control the spread of weeds growing in the city – watering them.
City council workers have began using a recently-bought machine that blasts near-boiling hot water at the pesky plants.
The move is not only seen as more environmentally-friendly – as it cuts the use of damaging herbicides – but has also been found to be effective at cleaning chewing gum from the city’s streets.
The local authority said such systems were widely used across Europe, but its purchase meant that Aberdeen has become the first area in the UK to deploy a weedkiller which uses only water.
The equipment – believed to have been bought for more than £12,000 – was trialled in the city for a month, after council officials attended the company’s launch event in March.
Neil Cooney, the authority’s communities, housing and infrastructure convener, said: “Protecting the environment is extremely important to the city council and this excellent system allows us to get rid of weeds simply by dousing them with hot water.
“An added advantage is that we can also use it as a quick and efficient way to get rid of unsightly chewing gum and graffiti.
“More and more countries are banning the use of certain types of weedkillers so it makes sense for Aberdeen to stay ahead of the legislation and take the best environmentally-friendly course of action now available to control weed growth.”
Cardley-Wave group marketing manager Josh Sweeney said: “Our range of systems are one of the most popular and proven environmentally-friendly methods of weed control in Europe, so it speaks volumes that the first council to try our system in the UK is also the first UK local authority to invest to purchase outright.”
The equipment basically comprises a pump and water heater. It is transported from site to site on the back of a truck, which also carries a large water tank.
The water heater can be set to deliver either hot water or steam via a hose that can be fitted with a range of attachments to suit the task at hand.
Weeds can be soaked up to three times over a period of time to totally kill the toughest varieties but smaller weeds can be seen wilting after one treatment.
The method is in line with a European Union directive which states that countries must keep herbicide and pesticides usage to levels which “reduce or minimise the risks to human health or the environment”.