GRAND FORKS – After being postponed due to flooding and wet conditions, spring cleanup will start on Monday, May 16, and run until Friday, May 20, in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks.
Spring cleanup is held annually and allows residents to dispose of household junk and bulkier items, such as appliances and furniture. Residents can leave the items on the curb, where they normally place their garbage, by 7 a.m. of their normal collection day. For those living in apartments, people can place items on the berm next to the street.
Items also can be dropped off at the Grand Forks landfill free of charge throughout the week, as long as Grand Forks residents show proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or utility bill. The landfill will be open for extended hours in coming days, including 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 14, and Saturday, May 21, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 16-20.
Grand Forks Public Works Director Sharon Lipsh said the cleanup keeps people from disposing of large refuse items — such as appliances and furniture — in dumpsters and other places throughout the year.
Last year, 1,184 tons of refuse was collected on cleanup week, with 1,136 tons being hauled to the landfill by crews. Another 48 tons of refuse was dropped off at the landfill by residents.
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Lipsh said she is anticipating a busy cleanup week, especially after a wet spring.
“I think we might see some additional items just because of some wet basements from all the rain and the seepage and things like that,” Lipsh said. “I’ve been hearing some people have had water in their basements so we're probably going to see some carpet out there.”
Residents can dispose of glass as long as they set it to the side for crews to see. Small quantities of branch clippings can be disposed, though large piles of tree stumps and branches won’t be picked up by crews. Crews won't pick up commercial quantities of junk, larger residential construction project waste and chemicals.
While Grand Forks only holds a cleanup event once a year, Lipsh said the Grand Forks landfill is now allowing residents to drop off items four times a year for free as long as they show proof of residency, such as a driver’s license or utility bill.
“Typically they’ve always been charged anytime they bring something to the landfill. So to help promote people getting rid of stuff when they want to get rid of stuff, we’re going to offer that to our residents," Lipsh said.
For more information about spring cleanup week, go to https://www.grandforksgov.com/government/city-departments/public-works/clean-up-week .
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