MOORPARK : Hydro-Sand Blaster Attacks Graffiti

Moorpark officials have begun an aggressive campaign to rid the city of graffiti.

Last week, workers began using a hydro-sand blaster to remove unsightly scribbles from city parks, said Public Works Director Kenneth Gilbert.

The program eventually will be expanded to include privately owned buildings, Gilbert said.

The city plans to contact property owners this week to get permission to remove graffiti from buildings citywide, he said.

“We want to put a stop to it before it gets out of hand,” he said.

Most of the graffiti is concentrated downtown around Millard and Spring streets and Los Angeles Avenue, but can be found citywide, Gilbert said.

Gilbert estimates that it will cost the city about $80 for each hour workers spend removing graffiti.

A typical graffiti-stained wall could take at least a half-hour to clean, he said.

The sand blaster, which cost $2,010, is most effective on cement block walls, Gilbert said. The machine won’t be used on painted surfaces because it emits a pressurized stream of water and sand that is highly abrasive.

To combat graffiti on painted surfaces, the city is considering a plan to enlist volunteer “graffiti busters” to donate labor, paint and equipment, Gilbert said.