City Of Watertown :: South Dakota

Refuse & Recycling Procedures

Landfill Location & Hours	Holidays
Load Requirements	Christmas Trees
Tipping Fees	Recycling
Load Inspections	Yard Waste
Disposal Procedures	Compost
Garbage Collection	White Goods

Landfill Location & Hours
The Watertown Regional Landfill is located 3 miles south and 1 mile east from the junction of Highways 212 and 81. The landfill is open to the general public Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The gate closes at 3:45 p.m. sharp, admittance is not allowed after that time.The landfill is closed Sundays and Holidays. If you have any questions, please call 882-6219
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Load Requirements
All incoming loads must be adequately covered to prevent any scattering of waste. The tipping fee rate for loads not adequately covered is doubled. All loads must be covered regardless of content.
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Solid Waste Tipping Fees

	COVERED	UNCOVERED
D-Cell (garbage)	$31.25 Ton	$62.50 Ton
Wood	$20.00 Ton	$40.00 Ton
White Goods	$20.00 Ton	$40.00 Ton
Yard Waste	$20.00 Ton	$40.00 Ton
Asbestos up to 100 lbs	$3.00 lb.	Not Accepted
Asebetos over 100 lbs $0.20 lb Not Accepted
(Asbestos min. Chg. of $200.00)

Out of service area wastes are charged an additional $7.50 per ton.
Plus 4% Sales Tax

Monthly residential garbage is charged on the monthly utility bill at a rate of $10.07 ($9.50 + .57, 6.0% tax) as of 6/10/2003 single family residences may purchase the service of additional blue solid waste containers, each additional container will increase monthly utility bill by an additional $10.07.

Load Inspections
All loads entering the landfill are subject to inspections to screen out prohibited materials. Individuals who dump any prohibited materials in the landfill are subject to fines, penalties and removal or cleanup costs associated with the incident. The following materials are prohibited at the Watertown Landfill ... TIRES, LIQUIDS, WASTE OIL, HAZARDOUS WASTE AND LEAD ACID BATTERIES.
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Landfill Disposal Procedures
A traffic light and intercom system are used to monitor incoming and outgoing traffic. Upon arrival at the landfill, drive up to the stop sign. The office attendant will greet haulers on the speaker outside your drivers-side window. You will be asked to identify the contents of your load so you can be directed to the correct site(s) for disposal. Once you have weighed in, the attendant will turn the traffic light to green and you may now enter the yard to unload at the correct site(s). All loads are to remain covered and secured until after weigh-in. Once unloaded you must drive back onto the scale to weigh-out. After the light turns green pull over to the cashier window and the tipping fee will be collected. Anyone dumping material in the wrong area will be required to clean up the material and take it to the correct site for disposal or be liable for the associated penalties and/or cleanup fees.
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Curbside Disposal Procedures
Garbage collection routes are the same as last year. An automated truck empties all of the containers. Residents must place all of their garbage in the container. No refuse should protrude above the top of the container or be left on the ground around the container. Workers will only collect garbage in the container. Do not overfill or pack your container, items can become lodged and not empty when dumped. We recommend that garbage be placed in sealed plastic bags before being placed in the container to reduce odors, litter and keep insects away.

Lids should be closed and the handle must face towards the house. Obstacles in the way will not allow the arm to reach the container for dumping. Do not place the container close to any obstructions such as vehicles, mailboxes, or another container.

The Watertown Sanitation Department urges residents to place their trash out the night before their collection day to avoid missing the truck. Collection routes begin at 5:00 a.m. and although trucks usually come at a similar time each week, there is no set time when they will cover a certain area of town. Trucks are not rerouted to pick up containers set out late.

NOTE: Ordinance 11:0404 – b.4. states: All solid waste material containers placed on the alley or boulevard shall be removed on the same day of collection.

The blue 95 gallon refuse containers are the property of the City of Watertown and must remain at the address that receives them. If you move, do not take the refuse container with you. If you are not sure of your collection day or have any other questions concerning the container, please call the Landfill for help at 882-6219.
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Holidays
Normal collection days are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. If a holiday occurs or is observed on your collection day, we will not collect your garbage, yard waste, or recycling material on that day, but will collect your materials on Wednesday of the same week.

NEW YEAR’S DAY 2012 – Monday, January 2, 2012, collected on Wednesday, January 4, 2012.
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. DAY – Monday, January 16, collected on Wednesday, January 18.
PRESIDENT’S DAY – Monday, February 20, collected on Wednesday, February 22.
MEMORIAL DAY – Monday, May 28, collected on Wednesday, May 30.
INDEPENDENCE DAY – Wednesday, July 4 - normal collection week.
LABOR DAY – Monday, September 3, collected on Wednesday, September 5.
COLUMBUS / NATIVE AMERICAN DAY – Monday, October 8, collected on Wednesday, October 10.
VETERAN’S DAY – Sunday, November 11, (observed on Mon. Nov. 12), collected on Wednesday, November 14.
THANKSGIVING DAY – Thursday, November 22, collected on Wednesday, November 21.
CHRISTMAS DAY – Tuesday, December 25, collected on Wednesday, December 26.
NEW YEAR'S DAY 2013 - Tuesday, January 1, 2013, collected on Wednesday, January 2, 2013.

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Christmas trees stripped of all lights, ornaments and decorations will be picked up for two weeks after Christmas on normal collection days. Christmas trees should not be placed in plastic bags. Exact dates will be announced using local media. After this period Christmas trees will need to be brought to the landfill by the resident and the appropriate tipping fee paid.
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Recycling http://www.watertownsd.us/SWRecycleSched09.aspx
The Watertown Solid Waste Department would like to thank the Watertown residents for their support of the recycling program. Please refer to your current refuse and recycling procedure manual for the color-coded calendar to determine what category of material you should place in your recycling container for your collection day or check in the Watertown Public Opinion. You are to provide your own container with a cover or lid to put your recyclable material out for collection. We ask that your container bear the recycling sticker. Stickers are available at the Landfill, City Hall or Municipal Utilities at no charge. Containers larger than 33 gallons may not be used for recycling paper.
Recycle containers of various sizes with wheels and attached lids are available for residents to purchase at the Watertown Sanitation Department (882-6219).

Watertown residents are asked to separate their recyclable material into two different categories. These categories are: 1) paper; 2) plastic, metal, and cardboard. The City will only pick up one category of material on any given week. If unacceptable or improperly prepared materials are thrown in the recycling container, the entire truck may be contaminated. To prevent this from happening, please read through this information carefully and keep it handy for future reference.

Plastic, Metal and Cardboard may be mixed together for collection. Most plastic bottles that have a smaller neck than base are recyclable in our area. For example milk jugs, plastic pop bottles, dish soap and shampoo containers are recyclable. Aerosol cans may be recycled provided they are completely empty and the plastic caps are removed. Examples of containers not recycled include antifreeze, oil, pesticide, herbicide and fertilizer containers, also ice cream buckets, styrofoam cups and butter or yogurt containers. Aluminum, steel and bi-metal cans do not have to be rinsed and labels do not need to be removed. Do not include scrap such as pie tins, tin foil or paint cans. Only clean corrugated cardboard is collected for recycling. Do not include items which are soiled with food or oil. Do not include pop or beer cases, cake mix, cracker, cereal, pizza boxes or tissue boxes and milk or egg cartons. Recyclable Paper consists of newspapers, coupon pages, glossy inserts and flyers, magazines, catalogs, office paper, computer paper, and phone books. Envelopes and mailings which have an address window or contain various non-paper items commonly referred to as "junk mail", are not recyclable, and should go in your regular garbage. All paper recyclables must be kept dry.
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Yard Waste
Yard waste will continue to be collected in the green 95 gallon containers by an automated side-loading truck. These containers are available for purchase over the phone from the Watertown Sanitation Department (882-6219). The price is subject to change depending on the current bid price. Containers can be paid for and picked up at the Watertown Regional Landfill, or payment can be made at the City Finance Office located at City Hall, 23 2nd Street NE. The Watertown Sanitation Department will deliver the container(s) at their earliest convenience after payment has been received.

Residents are allowed to purchase more than one container for their yard waste needs.

Only grass clippings, leaves and garden vegetation are to be placed in the green 95-gallon container. No branches, bushes, or wood are allowed.

Yard waste, garbage and recyclables are all collected the same day by different trucks. Yard waste does not include brush, branches or bushes larger in a diameter than a wooden pencil.

During the "leaf season" (dates to be announced), residents may dispose of yard waste at the landfill at no charge provided:

All haulers will be asked to provide a current municipal utilities stub showing a garbage service fee as proof of residency.
All loads must contain ONLY grass clippings, leaves and garden vegetation.
All loads must be securely tarped to prevent any loss of contents on the way to the landfill.

Loads not meeting these requirements will be charged the applicable fee.
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Compost
Collected yard waste material, composted at the landfill, is available to the public for their personal use. Each resident may receive up to 2 tons (4000 lbs.) at no charge per year. There is a charge of $20.00 per ton for additional material. Compost is a specialty fertilizer, used to improve the physical, chemical, or other characteristics of the soil to which it is applied. Due to the homeowners use of pesticides and herbicides, small amounts may be present in the compost. The City of Watertown makes no expressed or implied claims for this product other than what is contained in the label, available at the Watertown Regional Landfill.
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White Goods (Major Appliances)
The Landfill accepts and recycles white goods. The cooling compound or refrigerant will be removed at the landfill by a contractor. All doors must be removed from refrigerators and freezers before they are brought to the landfill. These items need to be secured or covered (as all loads are) to insure that doors and trays do not blow off during transport. All uncovered loads are charged double as required by ordinance.
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