Debris contractors will take this week to assess the volume of debris and determine what kind of resources are needed for pickup. For that reason, and to comply with FEMA regulations, the Utilities Department is asking residents in unincorporated Manatee County to place all storm-related debris at the curb. After assessing the volume of debris, Utilities will have a better idea of the timeline needed to collect all of the debris. The County is asking residents to remain patient, since debris collection could take several weeks.
Residents should have visual inspections of damages and debris completed before disposal. No one needs to call the County to request a curbside pickup, but to ensure collection storm-related debris must be sorted as follows:
- Yard waste (trees, limbs, brush, etc.) does not need to be bundled and should be placed at the curb. Leaves should be in a container or bagged for collection.
- White goods (appliances, such as refrigerators and freezers) should be emptied before being placed at the curb. Spoiled contents should be placed in the garbage for pickup.
- Construction and debris (C&D) materials such as metal awnings, roofing, drywall, carpet and lumber, should be in a separate pile.
Household garbage (trash, cups, food scraps, etc.) should be disposed of as usual. Garbage will be collected by haulers on a normal schedule beginning Monday, Sept. 18.
Yard waste collections will be suspended until the vegetative storm debris has been collected.
For the remainder of this week, the pickup schedule is as follows:
- Residents with Tuesday/Friday collection will have their trash collected on normal days.
- Residents with Monday/Thursday collection will have their garbage collected on Wednesday and Thursday.
- Recycling collection is suspended this week, and will resume next week.
County officials recommend residents keep sandbags in the garage or other storage area for the next time they’re needed. Hurricane season doesn’t end until Nov. 30, and they could be useful again before then. If you choose to dispose of sandbags, they should be placed alongside household garbage and they will be removed when normal garbage collection resumes next week. Sandbags should not go in with the yard waste and other storm debris.
As a last resort, residents may take storm debris to the Lena Road Landfill where disposal will be subject to standard tipping fee rates which are available at www.mymanatee.org/utilities. Manatee County residents with debris-related questions should visit www.mymanatee.org/garbage or call Manatee County Utilities Customer Service at (941) 792-8811.
For more information on Manatee County Government, visit online at www.mymanatee.org or call (941) 748-4501. You can also follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/manatee.county.fl and on Twitter, @ManateeGov.