Katie Johns is the managing editor of Storm Water Solutions. She can be reached at [email protected].
FINN Corporation’s Hydroseeder products are being used to help combat the spread of the new coronavirus, also known as COVID-19.
About two weeks ago, Matt Hoffman, the vice president of sales and marketing for FINN, received a call from one of the company’s dealers in South America asking Hoffman to send him info on how the Hydroseeder has been used to disinfect spaces. Hoffman was caught off guard because up until that point, the machine had not been used for disinfection.
Municipalities were requesting from contractors, and in turn dealers, that the hydroseeders be used to disinfect streets and public places in Argentina and Peru as the machine can accelerate the time it takes to disinfect large areas. Hoffman has heard of municipalities in other countries showing interest in this tactic as well.
The Hydroseeder, typically used to disperse seed and fertilizer, is designed to spray virtually any liquid. Hoffman said the machine can spray between 90 and 150 feet away, and if liquid is sprayed with the hose, that distance can increase to 200-300 feet or more.
Other benefits of the Hydroseeder include an agitator that combines liquids and materials with different viscosities, the ability for it to be towed behind a truck and the hose, which makes it easier to reach side streets and alleys that might otherwise be difficult to disinfect.
“The machines are really well suited for this because they have a really high capacity that can hold up to 4,000 gallons of liquid,” Hoffman said.
FINN has more than 200 dealers worldwide, all of which are stocked with the Hydroseeder machine. At the time of publication, Hoffmann said an increase in the manufacturing of the Hydroseeder was not occurring, though the company is still manufacturing products during the pandemic.
While Hoffman said it is too early to tell (the machines have been used for disinfecting for a week and a half) how successful the Hydroseeder has been at disinfecting, he said the effect will be seen more once people are allowed out of their homes again.
Hoffman expressed that FINN is not an expert source on various disinfectants and cannot speak to the effectiveness of different kinds of liquids. He said he encourages people to read the U.S. EPA’s guidelines regarding materials the organization recommends for disinfecting.
“We’re all trying to do our part and hopefully this is an opportunity where machines can be put to even more effective use for the environment, which is something we’re proud to be a part of,” Hoffman said.
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