Aiken City Council approved changes and updates to the yard trash collection ordinance at the last council meeting on February 10, 2020.
1. Residential yard trash is defined as the collection of vegetative materials from residential property. This type of trash may include, but is not limited to, trimmings, tree branches, pine straw, leaves, and grass clippings. These items, created through normal and routine residential property maintenance, may be put out for pickup.
2. It shall be unlawful to place yard trash on, or within three feet of, the water meter, fire hydrant, or any other obstacle.
3. Yard trash piles are limited to one pile per property.
4. Yard trash piles cannot be placed under utility lines or tree limbs with less than twenty feet of overhead clearance.
* Where utility lines, tree limbs, road configuration, or any other safety concern makes it impracticable to locate the yard trash pile either on owners’ or tenants’ property or directly in front of and on the same side of the street as owners’ or tenants’ property, at the Public Services Director’s discretion, the City of Aiken may identify an alternate location. Such alternate locations may include but are not limited to community piles with neighboring property owners.
5. The maximum length of a yard trash pile is twelve feet.
*During leaf season yard trash piles, consisting of predominately leaves, may exceed the twelve-foot maximum length.
* The public services director, or his department designee, will determine when leaf season begins and ends each year.
* Following a recognized weather event or natural disaster, at the Public Services Director’s discretion, the city may allow for oversized piles with no additional charges.
6. All limbs or other vegetative debris must be cut in lengths of six feet or less.
7. Furniture, including but not limited to, box springs, chairs, tables, white goods (i.e. appliances) and metal goods shall be considered a special collection. These special collections must be scheduled with the public services department. Special collection fees shall be added to the monthly City water bill.
* The cost to pick up unscheduled special collections shall be double the normal special collection fee.
8. Charges incurred through the yard trash ordinance are added to the monthly City water bill. Where there is no active water account the charges will be added to the City property tax bill.
Please contact the Public Services Department at 803-642-7613 with any questions.
