Des Moines Public Works

🚮 SCRUB Saturday! 🍂

We've got two options for Des Moines residents to get rid of clutter tomorrow — and they're FREE with proof of residence!

Bring your old couches, busted microwaves, and any other unused, bulk trash items to 4198 Delaware Avenue.

For yard waste that won't fit in your cart or bags, stop by the City's Compost Center at 1601 Harriet Street to dump it and go!

Both events run 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. See you there!

We are extremely grateful for everyone's patience as we continue to clear the worst of the damage from roadways.

If you are in the impacted area (see map in comments) please do your best to have tree debris placed at the curb for FREE collection.

Our crews will work to get your neighborhoods cleared as soon as possible. We will keep you updated here and on the City's website. Thank you!

Tornado Hits Des Moines, Cleanup Underway Free curbside collection of tree debris will be made available in identified areas. Glendale Cemetery closed to public until Thursday, July 18.

***UPDATE - Tuesday, July 16, 2024, 4:41 p.m.

Free curbside collection for residents in the impacted areas! Please have debris at the curb as soon as possible. Learn more by reading the City's full news release at DSM.city/News 📰

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⛈️🌳 SEVERE WEATHER UPDATE 🌳⛈️

Following this evening's storms, including a tornado, the Forestry Division is out assessing reported debris blocking roads.

Please stay home if possible, exercise caution on the roads, and obey all signage. Also, stay alert and watch for our friends with the Des Moines Fire Department and Des Moines Police.

You can report downed trees blocking the road at DSM.city/Report or with the myDSMmobile app. We are also available 24/7 at (515) 283-4950.

Please report power outages to MidAmerican Energy (888-427-5632) and contact your internet or phone service provider with connection issues.

We will update you as needed. Thank you and stay safe!

🚧🌳 LOG JAM UPDATE 🌳🚧

What a difference a weekend makes!

The contractors were able to remove a significant amount of debris since beginning operations on Friday, relieving pressure on the SW First Street Bridge. The remaining debris will be a bit more difficult to access and crews will wait for river levels to get a bit lower before adjusting their removal operation, with work resuming this Thursday, July 18.

Until then, Meredith Trail is once again accessible between SW Fifth and SW First Street, but please mind any signage or equipment you see. The closure will be reinstated by Friday morning.

Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we get this monster of a jam removed!

Our employees and staff wish everyone a Happy Fourth!

Don't let the rain stop you from enjoying the holiday!

We hope you have a safe and enjoyable Independence Day! In observation of the holiday, City of Des Moines administrative offices will be closed Thursday, July 4 and will reopen to the public on Friday, July 5.

For those with Thursday or Friday waste collection days, your garbage, recycling and yard waste will be collected one day late this week. (Thursday on Friday, Friday on Saturday)

Make sure you're maintaining proper recycling habits tomorrow, Des Moines!

Any food items should go in the trash, along with the Styrofoam, plastic film or foil used to package them. Those paper plates, plasticware and napkins should also be trashed!

Our interns will be back at it Friday morning to check carts for violations, so stay on top of it! 😉

👉 Collection Delay Reminder: Thursday customers should have carts out on Friday, and Friday customers will be serviced on Saturday. Thank you!

👋 Friendly Reminder: Waste collection will be delayed due to the Fourth of July holiday.

Thursday collection will occur on Friday, with Friday collection moving to Saturday. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday collections are not impacted.

You can always check how holidays will impact waste collection at DSM.city/Holidays 🎆

🎆 We're a week away from the Fourth of July, but we understand you may already be feeling patriotic!

Just make sure that you aren't risking a visit from the Des Moines Fire Department by making sure that used sparklers are COMPLETELY extinguished before disposal. Unused sparklers should be soaked in water and bagged securely before trashing, otherwise, store them in a cool, dry place until next year!

As for fireworks, they should not be ignited within City limits. If you have unused fireworks to dispose of, follow these steps from our friends at Metro Waste Authority: https://www.mwatoday.com/waste-recycling/recycling-disposal-guide/recycling-guide-items/fireworks/

(Extra tip: Even if they didn't catch fire inside, sparklers and fireworks definitely do NOT belong in your blue recycling carts 😉)

Friendly Reminder: NO DELAY to your waste collection services this week!

Please have your carts out by 7 a.m. on their normal collection day! Our employees and staff wish everyone a Happy Juneteenth!

In observance of the Juneteenth holiday, most City of Des Moines offices and buildings will be closed on Wednesday, June 19. There will be no delay in collection of garbage, recycling or yard waste.

All Des Moines Public Library branches will be closed on Wednesday, June 19 and resume regular hours on Thursday, June 20. The City of Des Moines began to observe Juneteenth as a holiday for all City staff starting in 2021, prior to the federal holiday designation.

We invite all community members to attend local holiday events, visit DMPL.org/Juneteenth or visit a Des Moines library location to learn more about the history of Juneteenth, a significant date of independence that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States.

For local ways to celebrate the holiday, read more on our website: https://DSM.city/news_detail_T2_R869.php

👋 Here's your friendly reminder that Saturday, June 15, is the last Mega SCRUB day until September!

Take advantage of FREE household hazardous waste disposal, bulk paper shredding, eco-friendly e-recycling and more at Capitol Complex Lot #3! It's just south of Court Avenue between E 13th and E 14th Street!

Don't worry, we still have our usual SCRUBs available to Des Moines residents as well, each running 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For appliances, furniture and other large trash items, visit us at 4198 Delaware Avenue!

For tree debris and yard waste, visit the City's Compost Center at 1601 Harriet Street!

Just bring proof of residents and whatever you can fit in your vehicle! Visit DSM.city/SCRUB for schedule, rules and guidelines!

⚠️ATTENTION: TRAFFIC PATTERN UPDATE⚠️

With the closure of the 18th Street Intersection, traffic patterns have changed during the construction phase of this project.

It's important to note that the Fleur Drive Bridge is not closing permanently. During construction, traffic patterns on the bridge will be disrupted. When the project is complete, the Bridge will reopen to two-way traffic.

It's been a busy few weeks, but we didn't want to miss the opportunity to commend our outstanding employees who participated in the Public Works Department's 2024 Principles of Leadership Course!

This course, in its second year, is a testament to the high desire among our staff to better themselves and expand their leadership toolkits.

Participants from various divisions of Public Works and the WRA discussed strategic planning, communication methods and project management skills in sessions led by City leaders and other guest speakers.

Congratulations!

Thank you, Des Moines! We are so appreciative of the hard work of our exceptional employees and the helpful residents they serve!

After five days of working street by street, crews were able to cover the entire city by the end of their additional Saturday shift. Today, crews branched out (pardon the pun) once again to address spots that were missed last week due to obstructions or human error.

As these dedicated members of the Public Works team return to their normal duties, we wanted to express our gratitude one more time. We also appreciate our residents help in cutting everything up and getting debris to the curb for them!

Your next chance to get rid of excess yard or tree waste is less than two weeks away, with our next Compost SCRUB at 1601 Harriet Street, Saturday, June 15!

As our crews head home after another long day, one valued member of the Des Moines Public Works family clocked out for the last time this morning.

William Scearcy has served the citizens of Des Moines for over 42 years. He knew people all over the city and seemed to get along instantly with everyone.

Starting his career as a custodian with Des Moines Police, Mr Scearcy worked hard towards a position as an Animal Control Officer — legend has it, his tenure included an infamous moment involving a bat and an English rocker at Veteran’s Memorial Auditorium!

Mr. Scearcy then joined the Public Works Department with the Sewer Operations Division, working in a variety of positions.

A hard worker whose laugh was contagious, Mr. Scearcy leaves us for new adventures. He will be missed, but he has earned the right to be missed by all of us here at Public Works. Congrats, William!

🌳⚡ REMINDER: Debris cleanup is ongoing and we will get to everyone! This cleanup is separate from your waste collection service so don't worry if your debris is still at the curb.

Crews are working 12-hour shifts every day and will add another 12-hour day tomorrow on Saturday. Efforts will continue early next week, but we anticipate that a majority of the city — 80-90% — will be clear by Saturday evening.

If you did not have your debris out by Tuesday morning and we passed your street already, we will not be making a second pass. Mark your calendars for our next free Compost SCRUB at 1601 Harriet Street, Saturday, June 15 form 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.

We appreciate your patience as our dedicated employees work through hundreds of miles with heavy equipment. You can help them out by making sure you and your neighbors give clear access to debris piles when parking on the street! Thank you, Des Moines!

As our crews continue to collect storm debris, consider taking some time to help improve another part of Des Moines, with the Brook Run Park Clean-Up! Sign up today with password 'BMP' at bit.ly/2024LitterCleanup ✨

Plus, connect with local contractors who can assist you with a Stormwater Best Management Practices project! These types of home improvement efforts — including rain gardens, native landscaping, soil quality restoration, and more — could be eligible for a 50% cost reimbursement through our subsidy program!

Learn more at DSM.city/SWBMP 💧

⚠️⚠️⚠️

In an emergency, please use a cell phone to call 911. Updates will be posted to the City’s website and social media as we receive them.

Please direct any pressing Public Works/Waste Collection issues to us here until service is restored! You can also email [email protected] or use the myDSMmobile app, available for iPhone, Android and at DSM.city/Report

Debris collection is in progress! Thank you for all your help getting these items to the curb!

We've got several crews working throughout Des Moines with various pieces of equipment, so rest assured if your branches haven't been collected yet — we will get to them!

We appreciate your patience as we work our way to your home!

We hope everyone is having an enjoyable holiday weekend.

Friendly reminder: Waste Collection will be delayed by one day this week due to the holiday. Our full holiday schedule is available at DSM.city/Holidays.

Also, please be sure to have any tree debris from last week's storms at the curb by 7 a.m. tomorrow for collection. We thank you for helping us keep Des Moines clean and safe.

Our employees and staff wish everyone a meaningful Memorial Day, and we express our gratitude to the brave Americans who gave everything in service to our country.

🛣️✨✅ George Flagg Parkway has reopened!

A big THANK YOU to our Sewer Operations team and our dedicated Street Cleaning crew who worked hard to get the area cleaned up just in time to open it up before the holiday!

For more information, view our latest news update on the City's website: https://www.dsm.city/news_detail_T2_R855.php

If you didn't take advantage of our drop-off option yesterday, please be prepared to have all of your tree debris from last week's storms at the curb by 7 a.m. on Tuesday!

No stickers are required, but please make sure that branches are cut down to 10 feet or less and that the diameter is 18 inches or less.

We thank you for your help and your neighbors will too!

During this extended weekend of grilling, enjoy these snapshots of your Public Works Department taking a moment to meet and eat together for our annual Public Works Luncheon!

may be coming to a close, but we are extremely grateful for this dedicated team and the service they provide — all year long.

Whether it's daily waste collection, protecting our water sources, keeping roads smooth, or planting a new tree, these exceptional employees work hard to keep Des Moines clean, safe, healthy and enjoyable for all of us.

***Special thanks to Street Maintenance Worker Bob Stone and Street Sweeper Operator Justin Maschke for grilling up the goods for hundreds of their colleagues!

🌩️🌳 STORM CLEANUP UPDATE 🌳🌩️

Following additional storm damage, ALL Des Moines residents will receive curbside pickup for tree debris starting Tuesday, May 28.

Please have all branches at the curb by 7 a.m. Tuesday and have them cut to 10 feet or less. Branches larger than 18 inches in diameter will not be collected

The City Compost Center drop-off option tomorrow (Saturday, May 25) at 1601 Harriet Street will also be extended by two hours, running 7 AM - 2 PM. Compost SCRUB guidelines apply (DSM.city/SCRUB).

Residents should report trees or downed branches blocking roadways or public walkways using the myDSMmobile app (DSM.city/Report) or by calling (515) 283-4950.

We appreciate the patience of community members as we get roads cleaned up and understand how essential this service is to get your own properties clear of storm debris.

Stay alert! You can report downed trees in the road or sidewalk at DSM.city/Report or with the myDSMmobile app.

Be careful on the roads and stay alert this morning.

We are getting reports of tree limbs and power lines down across Des Moines from strong overnight storms.

Do not approach power lines and be aware of potential hazards in the road.

Our operators see a lot of well-meaning folks bagging up their recyclables for us.

Unfortunately, plastic film like the kind used in trash can liners or grocery bags can contaminate an entire load of recyclables, sending them to the landfill instead of being reused.

So, on collection day, be sure to empty all your recyclables into your recycling cart, but hang on to the trash bags! They should be reused or thrown in the garbage.