Black Mountain adjusts holiday sanitation schedule following service disruption

Town to eliminate public dumpsters and modify routes in 2024

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
January 8, 2024

A new holiday sanitation scheduled released, Jan. 5, by the Town of Black Mountain, is intended to address an unexpected surge in the use of public dumpsters. Photo by Fred McCormick

An unanticipated surge in the use of dumpsters provided to offset a three-day disruption of sanitation services prompted the Town of Black Mountain to announce changes to the 2024 holiday schedule. 

The town, in a Jan. 5 press release, outlined a plan that will eliminate the use of public dumpsters and cover trash and recycling routes not serviced when offices are closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas. 

Local government offices were closed for the holidays from Monday, Dec. 25 through Wednesday, Dec. 27, according to Town Manager Josh Harrold, resulting in an anticipated service disruption for customers. The town placed two dumpsters on the west side of the public works and sanitation building on Black Mountain Avenue to allow residents to dispose of waste.

While the 2023 holiday season marked the third year public dumpsters were made available to local residents, their usage was unprecedented, the town manager said.

“They were filled within two hours, and before they opened there were bags of trash stacked outside of the fence,” Harrold said. “In the past two years, it took three days to fill the dumpsters provided, so that surge was a problem.”

The town contracted Waste Pro to service the dumpsters, but the sanitation company was unable to empty the containers frequently enough to meet the demand, according to Harrold, who believes the issue was exacerbated by an influx of use by non-residents. A Black Mountain police officer was dispatched to the location to prevent additional littering.

“Friday was much more calm, once the dumpsters were emptied, but that initial surge in usage was the primary issue,” the town manager said.

Harrold consulted with town staff and elected officials when creating the 2024 holiday sanitation schedule, which eliminates the need for public dumpsters.

“Beginning this calendar year, no dumpsters will be provided. Instead, sanitation employees will take a limited amount of time off for Christmas, which should result in no disruption in services,” Harrold said in a press release announcing the changes.

The sanitation department will close, Tuesday, Dec. 24 and Wednesday, Dec. 25, while households normally scheduled for Tuesday pick-up will be serviced Monday, Dec. 23. Residents whose waste is typically collected on Wednesday will receive service, Thursday, Dec. 26. The department’s staff will receive a third vacation day as a “floating holiday,” according to Harrold.

“Our crews will work more than they did this year to avoid a break in service,” he said. “The dumpsters have proven to be a service people will abuse, and we will maintain sanitation service throughout the week of Christmas to make it easier for residents.”

The 2024 Town of Black Mountain Holiday Sanitation Schedule can be viewed on the town’s website, linked here.