Leaf Collection Season Is Quickly Approaching

~ from the City of Knoxville's Office of Neighborhood Empowerment

The Public Service Department will begin collecting leaves starting Tuesday, Nov. 1.

That means your last scheduled collection of brush will be either the week of Oct. 17 or Oct. 24. It's a good incentive to get your last-minute yard cleanup done this weekend!

Crews use the same trucks to collect leaves and brush by switching out the equipment mounted to the truck bed. The knucklebooms used to collect large limbs and brush in the spring and summer are replaced with large vacuums to suck up leaves during fall and winter. Leaf season runs November-February when regular brush collection changes from every other week to about every four weeks.

During leaf season, you can expect leaf collection approximately four times, about every four weeks, varying based on several factors. Some years, the leaves all drop within a short timeframe, and other years they drop continuously through the winter. Weather can also impact collection. Wet sticky leaves are harder to collect quickly than dry leaves. Additionally, icy conditions, shortened daylight hours, and fog impact the crews' ability to work safely.

To help facilitate the collection of leaves, please remember:

* Leaves are vacuumed, so do not include brush with leaves as it jams the equipment

* Leaves must be kept separate from trash

* Rake leaves into piles no higher than six feet at the edge of the street in an unobstructed area for easy collection

* Place leaf piles away from fixed objects like mailboxes, decorative lawn ornaments, or landscaping fabric; the vacuum is very powerful and the collection pipe must be swung to collect leaves.  Leaving adequate space around objects will reduce the likelihood of property damage and lead to a more efficient leaf collection

* Bagged leaves will not be collected as the bags compromise the mulching process

* Leaves should be placed at the curb by Monday of your collection week.

Be aware that the collection schedule can be delayed due to uncontrollable circumstances, but your leaves will get picked up. Call 311 or visit [url="http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/leafpickup"]Leaf Collection - City of Knoxville[/url] to find your collection schedule.

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