OLD ORCHARD BEACH — The town of Old Orchard Beach will soon have a new beach rake, and will continue its efforts to keep the coast clean for those who come to enjoy the sand, surf and waves.

The seven-mile, continuous strip of sandy beach along the town’s coast is a popular destination in the summer, when the Old Orchard Beach’s population swells from 9,000 to 75,000.

At last week’s Town Council meeting, Old Orchard Beach Town Manager Larry Mead said town staff was doing its best to clean the beach while keeping a safe distance from piping plovers, shore birds listed as an endangered species by the state and designated by the federal government as threatened. Mead said staff was also making every effort it could to groom the sand with a beach rake that was not very dependable and was at times out of service.

“It’s pretty much day to day,” said Mead.

The beach rake is towed behind a tractor, and is used by Public Works staff in the early morning.

The town’s current beach rake is 18 years old, the aluminum is rotting away and the main drive belt is tearing, said Public Works Director Joe Cooper in written Town Council commentary.

“The rake is just worn out and needs to be replaced as soon as possible,” said Cooper.

Last week, the Old Orchard Beach Town Council approved the purchase of a new beach rake, which the town will pay off in five annual payments of about $11,200. The town hopes to have the new rake by mid-August.

The Barber 400HD surf rake, according to manufacturer specifications, has a cleaning width of six feet and a cleaning depth of up to six inches. The surf rake operates at about 1 to 1.5 miles per hour and is designed to pick up broken glass, plastic, syringes, cigarette butts, pop-tops, straws, cans, tar balls, stones that are three-eighths of an inch to 6 inches in diameter, sea grass, seaweed, fish, and small pieces of wood, according to the manufacturer.

— Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be reached at 780-9015 or by email at egotthelf@journaltribune.com.