Department of Public Works
Yard Waste Collection
The DPW will pick up yard and leaf waste at the curb from Springfield residents on alternating weeks, the same day that recycling is set out. Yard waste and leaves should be placed loosely in a 32 gallon barrel with handles or in special paper thirty (30) gallon capacity leaf bags. These bags can be purchased at local grocery or hardware stores. Yard waste is defined as: grass clippings, weeds, hedge clippings, garden waste, as well as twigs and brush. Twigs and brush should not be longer than two (2) feet in length and one-half (1/2) inch in diameter. Bags and barrels shall not weigh more than 40 lbs. when full.
The DPW will also pick up branches. Branches can be no wider than 3" in diameter and no longer than 4' and must be tied for pickup in manageable sized bundles.
Residents will still be able to drop off their yard waste at the City of Springfield Landfill during regular operating hours, which includes Saturday’s from 7am to 12pm.
Be advised that yard waste paper bags that have been at the curb since December of last year will not be picked up and should be re-bagged.
Free Compost Available To City Residents
The Springfield Department of Public Works and the Springfield Parks Department are, once again, offering free compost material to the residents of Springfield. The material, which is made from the composted leaf and yard waste collected by the DPW, will be available for pick-up beginning Wednesday April 19, 2023 at the following location during the following daily hours:
Blunt Park- Parking lot next to shed
7 days/week 7:30am-7:00pm until supply is depleted
Supplies will be replenished until depleted.
The DPW will have approximately 600 tons of the compost material to this location for use by Springfield residents. The compost can be used in gardens or on lawns as a nutrient rich soil amendment.
Only residents of the City of Springfield are eligible for the free compost. The compost is not available for commercial vendors.
St James Ave & Tapley Street Traffic Upgrades
The proposed project consists of constructing a roundabout in place of the existing signal at the project location. Pedestrian and bicycle accommodations will be provided in the form of raised shared-use paths, generally 10 feet wide except on the Tapley Street bridge, where an at-grade area for bicycle and pedestrian travel will be provided along the south side. High-visibility crosswalks, ADA-compliant curb ramps, and rectangular rapid flashing beacons are proposed to be provided across each leg of the roundabout to facilitate safe crossings. The left turn onto the on-ramp from St. James Avenue northbound to I-291 westbound is proposed to be signalized.
Helpful Links
DPW Offices
Department of Public Works Contact Information
For Issues Related to:
| Contact 311 or 736-3111 |
DPW Excavation and Occupancy Permits | Contact: Patrick Garrity pgarrity@springfieldcityhall.com dpwpermits@springfieldcityhall.com Phone: 787-6584 |
Traffic Commission and Board of Public Work Issues | Contact: Hector Velez hvelez@springfieldcityhall.com Phone: 784-4891 |
Site Plan Reviews | Contact: Andrew Krar Phone: 784-4884 |
DPW Contracts | Contact: Peggy Merrill pmerrill@springfieldcityhall.com Phone: 750-2728 |
Other DPW Questions | Phone: 787-6474 |
Immediate Changes to Bulk Pickup
Due to issues surrounding the Coronavirus, the DPW will be enacting the following immediately.
All mattresses and Box Springs to be picked up as part of the City Bulk Collection Services must be placed in plastic mattress bags. These disposal bags are available at Lowe’s, Home Depot, Walmart, and through Amazon, as well as other retailers. If the mattresses and box springs are not properly placed in the bags, they will not be picked up. Mattress plastic bags that come with the purchase of a new mattress / box spring can be reused as long as they are 100% sealed with duct tape. This policy will continue indefinitely until rescinded by the Director of the Department of Public Works.
Permits
All utilities and contractors must be in good standings with the Engineering Division of DPW, which includes 2019 annual utility or contractor license fee and supporting documents. Please contact Patrick Garrity at dpwpermits@springfieldcityhall.com or 413-787-6584 with any questions, as well as to obtain the most current version of the Occupancy Manual.
City Continues Push to Keep Trash out of Recycling Barrel
While the single stream recycling program has doubled the recycling rate of the City, it has not come without some challenges. The biggest challenge facing the program is the putting of non-recyclable items in the blue recycling carts.
Recycling barrels that contain non-recyclable items will be tagged with an orange sticker and not collected. The resident will have to remove the items and put it out on their next collection day.
Hazardous materials and other non-recyclable items placed into recycling containers caused the contamination of 6 loads of recyclable materials in April.
One of the truck loads of recyclable material was contaminated by tar improperly disposed of in the recycling cart. Almost half of the contents of the entire truck were contaminated and had to be hauled to a landfill.
To some it may seem harmless to toss a rogue item into a recycling container. However, we want to make sure people understand that it's far from harmless. The simple act of placing oil or any other non-recyclable material into a recycling container can contaminate an entire load of clean recyclables.
The City will be launching an education campaign to inform residents as to what you can and cannot put in the recycling barrel. The "10 most unwanted list" flyer will be put in the May 28th edition of The Republican and also posted on the City website. This list is comprised of the 10 most commonly found non-recyclable items found in the blue recycling barrel. Flyers will also be available for free at your local library, community center, senior center or by calling customer service at #311.
The City will be utilizing grants from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the Springfield MRF Advisory Board in order to fund this outreach initiative.
"Please have your items at the curb by 6:30 am on your Recycling Day for collection."
DPW Pothole Hotline 736-3111
Clearing your Catch Basin Helps Everyone!
Please be advised that it is every property owner’s responsibility to keep their catch basins clear of leaves and debris. There are approximately 23,000 catch basins in the City and we do not have enough personnel to keep up with the demand of removing leaves and litter from the surface of the catch basins.
Also, please note that clean catch basins are instrumental in the proper drainage of streets, this is extremely important during the winter months when the thawing and refreezing of snow banks occurs. We thank you for your consideration and cooperation in this matter.
