The City of Ottawa will begin collecting garbage outside of regular pickup days to assist rain-soaked households hit hard by Canada Day’s record-breaking storm. According to a memo to council from public works general manager Alain Gonthier released Friday evening, there are over 3,200 reports of flooded basements across the city. Environment Canada says 118 mm of rain was recorded at the Ottawa Airport on Wednesday, as a series of thunderstorms moved through Ottawa during the afternoon and evening. When will storm garbage collection begin? The city says a “special collection operation” is scheduled to begin on Monday, July 6 in addition to regular curbside collection. Three-items of garbage are normally collected every two weeks. For residents who already had their regular curbside pickup since Wednesday’s storm, a special collection truck will still collect storm-related waste “as quickly as possible.” Which wards are impacted? Special collection will begin in areas most impacted by Wednesday’s flooding: Bay, College and Knoxdale-Merivale wards. Once those areas have been addressed, collection will begin in other impacted wards. The city says it will communicate with impacted ward councillors on the status of collection. What can I throw away? Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe says the city has removed the three-item garbage limit on garbage collection and will be accepting some construction materials, including drywall and carpeting. All storm-related garbage left at the curb will be picked up but residents will be limited to two garbage cans of construction waste, not more. “Residents will need to make those arrangements through their insurance or a contractor,” Gonthier said. Textile floor coverings such as carpet, under pad or area rugs must be securely tied into compact bundles of no more than 1.2 metres (4 feet) in length, 0.6 metres (2 feet) in width and height and cannot exceed 15 kilograms (33 pounds) in weight. The three-item garbage limit will still apply to households not impacted by flooding. How long will it take? The city didn’t provide an exact timeline but says it may take “multiple passes” to collect all the waste caused by the flooding. “Given the unprecedented scope of the flooding and damage, it will take time to get to all affected properties,” Gonthier says. “Rest assured that we are actively pursuing other collection vehicles to increase our available capacity and get to every impacted neighbourhood as soon as possible. We ask residents for their patience.” Sutcliffe says the city will be monitoring the situation and may adjust the collection schedule and garbage limits if necessary. “We will continue to assess the situation in the coming days and will adjust as needed. We will do everything we can to support affected families,” Sutcliffe said Friday. Residents are asked to leave all waste at the curb and to not make additional service requests if waste is left behind, as it will be collected at a later date. What about hazardous waster and electric waste? Household hazardous waste is not accepted through any curbside collection and should be safely stored until it can be disposed of through the Household Hazardous Waste program. The next Household Hazardous Waste drop-off event will take place on July 25 at the Kanata Research Park. Electronic waste (e-waste) is not accepted for curbside garbage collection, including steel, glass, copper, aluminum, plastics and precious metals that can be recycled and reused. Green bin and yard waste As a temporary measure, the city says residents with more spoiled food and organic waste than will fit in their green bin can place additional garbage bags beside it. Each garbage bag must be clearly labelled “Green Bin” and will be picked on the regular collection date. Residents with large amounts of spoiled food or other organic waste due to an extended power outage who cannot wait until their next scheduled green bin collection can also put in a service request for an additional green bin pickup. Households can continue to set out leaf and yard waste with no limit for collection in paper yard waste bags or reusable containers labelled “Leaf and Yard Waste.” Acceptable items include leaves, grass clippings, branches, bundles of branches, plants and weeds. More information on yard waste restrictions can be found online. Trail Road Landfill The city says Trail Road Landfill will be open during the next three Saturdays to accommodate affected residents. On Sunday, Sutcliffe said impacted households can drop off garbage free of charge if they bring details on their basement flooding service request (digital or printed copies are accepted) and provide ID confirming their address. Those who have already dropped off garbage at the facility can apply for a refund, he added. Residents are encouraged to check Ottawa.ca for hours of operation before visiting.
