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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 20:21:03
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Lethbridge residents have a new way to dispose of the unsightly waste littering some of the city’s alleyways.
The city’s long-awaited large item service, which replaces the previous spring cleanup program, was officially launched Thursday, and details were mailed out to all city residents. Locals who receive their waste services from the city can now arrange for crews to pick up large items for disposal at any time of the year.
“The advantage is that the program is available year-round,” said Dave Schaaf, manager of waste and recycling services with the city.
“This way, people don’t have to wait.”
Residential utility customers can schedule two collections per year, a minimum of three months apart. Pickups must be less than 250 kilograms or 550 pounds with a maximum of 10 standard-sized residential bags or five large items. When customers call city offices to schedule a pickup, trained personnel will help them determine the approximate weight of their waste.
“The people doing this work are very knowledgeable,” explained Schaaf.
“We don’t expect people to know how much their couch weighs. The expertise is within the city staff.”
Schaaf hopes residents who have already taken large items to their alleyways in preparation of the now-defunct spring cleanup program will arrange for the city to pick them up as soon as possible. He said people are generally co-operative, but those who leave their waste lying around for an extended period of time can expect notices from the city.
The new program was introduced partially to ensure the city stays within its waste disposal budget. The cost of contracted services needed for the spring cleanup program has increased steadily over the past two years, said Schaaf, and creating an alternative program operated entirely by the city allows it to better control costs.
The city expects a barrage of calls in the early stages of the program, and customers may have to wait up to three weeks for their pickup. But once the service has been operating smoothly for a few months, Schaaf expects wait times to diminish to seven to 10 days.
“We ask that people be patient for the first little while,” he said.
Residents whose waste is not managed by the city, such as some condo or apartment tenants, will have to arrange for alternate disposal, just as they did with the spring cleanup program. The free Saturday landfill service, which has a limit of 250 kg, is still available year-round.
To arrange for a large item pickup, have your utility account number ready and call 320-3934.
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