Your basic $12.00 sanitation fee includes leaf collection. The Owensboro Sanitation Department provides loose-leaf collection services to our customers from October 26 until February 15.  Leaves are collected by large vacuum trucks that traverse each section of the city.  Leaves that are bagged and/or placed in your personal container are collected year-round as long as they are placed at the curb on your normal trash day.

Today's Zones:  We have completed three passes through all 10-Leaf Zones in the city and will no longer be conducting systematic leaf collection.  Loose leaf-piles will be collected on a "call-in" basis to City Action or the Sanitation Department from now until the end of Leaf Season on 2/15/2012.  Bagged leaves are collected on your trash day year-round.

Follow the progress of crews with this web site, the Messenger-Inquirer, or by listening to WEVV TV 75, Cable 8, WBKR, WOMI and WBIO radio, or by phoning City Action at 687-4444.

Leaf Areas & Service Projections

To control leaf operations, the city is divided into 10 Leaf Collection Zones. Leaf crews will begin collections in Zone 9 in 2011 and continue through the city until all zones have been collected; the process then begins again. During periods of heavy leaf fall, it can take up to two-weeks to make an entire pass through the city. On heavy days, we collect the equivalent weight in leaves of 28 Volkswagen cars!  The map below will tell you which zone you are in. 

View Full Leaf Collection Zone Map

Guide to Quality Service

• Be ready on collection day. Once crews pass through your area, they cannot return for late collections. Return collections are expensive in fuel, labor and maintenance costs, and are a burden to those who have raked their leaves out on time.
• Place leaves curbside, in your yard, not on sidewalk or in the street.
• Do not wet leaves. Frozen leaves may damage our vacuum equipment.
• Do not place leaves over water meter covers or other obstructions.
• Do not mix leaves with other brush, sticks or trash.
• Do not block leaf piles with vehicles.

Faster Service

For faster service during Leaf Season, you can bring bagged leaves to the ORANGE DUMPSTERS located in the Sportcenter Parking Lot on Hickman Avenue. These dumpsters are for use by city residents only.

For your convenience bagged leaves placed curbside will be collected on your regularly scheduled trash day.