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Regional Landfill (Solid Waste)
Landfill Location & Hours
The Watertown Regional Landfill is located 3 miles south and 1 mile east from the junction of Highways 212 and 81. The landfill is open to the general public Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The gate closes at 4 p.m. sharp. Admittance is not allowed after that time. The landfill is closed Sundays and holidays. If you have any questions, please call 605-882-6219.
Load Requirements
All incoming loads must be adequately covered to prevent any scattering of waste. The tipping fee rate for loads not adequately covered is doubled. All loads must be covered regardless of content. Tipping fees may be paid using cash, check, and Visa or MasterCard. Customers that want to charge fees must first contact the Finance Department at 605-882-6200, ext. 3513 to set up a charge account.
- Solid Waste Tipping Fees
- Commercial Waste Hauler License
- Out of Service Area Fees
- Residential Garbage Charge
Note: The rates shown below become effective on February 1, 2021 per Resolution 20-49
| Waste Type | Covered Price | Uncovered Price |
|---|---|---|
| D-Cell (garbage) | $42.00 per Ton | $84.00 per Ton |
| Wood | $24.50 per Ton | $49.00 per Ton |
| White Goods | $24.50 per Ton | $49.00 per Ton |
| Yard Waste | $24.50 per Ton | $49.00 per Ton |
Commercial waste haulers within the City Limits must be licensed by the Finance Office at City Hall. The commercial waste hauler license fee is $50.00. If you have any questions, please contact the Finance Office at (605) 882-6203.
Note: The rate shown below becomes effective on February 1, 2021 per Resolution 20-49
Out of service area wastes are charged an additional $14.00 per ton, plus 4.5% sales tax.
Note: The rate shown below becomes effective on February 1, 2021 per Resolution 20-49
Monthly residential garbage is charged on the monthly utility bill at a rate of $12.25 [$11.50 + $0.75 (6.5% tax)]. As of June 10, 2003, single family residences may purchase the service of additional blue solid waste containers. Each additional container will increase the monthly utility bill by an additional $12.25. Call the Watertown Sanitation Department at 605-882-6219 or complete the request form to request an additional blue solid waste container be delivered to your home.
Load Inspections
All loads entering the landfill are subject to inspections to screen out prohibited materials. Individuals who dump any prohibited materials in the landfill are subject to fines, penalties, and removal or cleanup costs associated with the incident. The following materials are prohibited at the Watertown Landfill:
- Hazardous waste
- Lead acid batteries
- Liquids
- Tires
- Waste oil
Landfill Disposal Procedures
A traffic light and intercom system are used to monitor incoming and outgoing traffic. Upon arrival at the landfill, drive up to the stop sign. The office attendant will greet haulers on the speaker outside your driver side window. You will be asked to identify the contents of your load so you can be directed to the correct site(s) for disposal. Drop boxes are available near the scale so small loads can be disposed of without requiring the customer to drive into the disposal cell.
Once you have weighed in, the attendant will turn the traffic light to green and you may now enter the yard to unload at the correct site(s). All loads are to remain covered and secured until after weigh-in. Once unloaded you must drive back onto the scale to weigh-out.
After the light turns green pull over to the cashier window and the tipping fee will be collected. Anyone dumping material in the wrong area will be required to clean up the material and take it to the correct site for disposal or be liable for the associated penalties and/or cleanup fees.
Curbside Collection
Effective February 29, 2016, Monday holidays will be collected on the previous Friday. Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday holidays will be collected on Friday of the same week.
An automated truck empties all of the containers. Residents must place all of their garbage in the container. No refuse should protrude above the top of the container or be left on the ground around the container. Workers will only collect garbage in the container. Do not overfill or pack your container because items can become lodged and not empty when dumped. We recommend that garbage be placed in sealed plastic bags before being placed in the container to reduce odors, litter and keep insects away.
Questions
If you are not sure of your collection day or have any other questions concerning the container, please call the landfill for help at 605-882-6219.
Lids should be closed and the handle must face towards the house. Obstacles in the way will not allow the arm to reach the container for dumping. Do not place the container close to any obstructions such as vehicles, mailboxes, or another container.
The blue 95 gallon refuse containers and tan 95 gallon recycle containers are the property of the City of Watertown and must remain at the address that receives them. If you move, do not take the refuse or recycling container with you.
The Watertown Sanitation Department urges residents to place their trash out the night before their collection day to avoid missing the truck. Collection routes begin at 5 a.m. and, although trucks usually come at a similar time each week, there is no set time when they will cover a certain area of town. Trucks are not rerouted to pick up containers set out late.
Note: Ordinance 11:0404 – b.4. states: All solid waste material containers placed on the alley or boulevard shall be removed on the same day of collection.
Normal collection days are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. If a holiday occurs or is observed on your collection day, we will not collect your garbage, yard waste, or recycling material on that day. On a Monday holiday, your materials will be collected on Friday of the previous week. On a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday holiday, your materials will be collected on Friday of the same week.
Holidays
| Holiday | Date | New Collection Date |
|---|---|---|
| New Year’s Day | Friday, January 1, 2021 | Normal Collection Week |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | Monday, January 18 | Friday, January 15 |
| President’s Day | Monday, February 15 | Friday, February 12 |
| Memorial Day | Monday, May 31 | Friday, May 28 |
| Independence Day | Monday, July 5 (Observed) | Friday, July 2 |
| Labor Day | Monday, September 6 | Friday, September 3 |
| Columbus / Native American Day | Monday, October 11 | Friday, October 8 |
| Veteran’s Day | Thursday, November 11 | Friday, November 12 |
| Thanksgiving Day | Thursday, November 25 | Friday, November 26 |
| Christmas Day | Friday, December 24 (Observed) | Normal Collection Week |
| New Year’s Day | Friday, December 31, 2021 (Observed) | Normal Collection Week |
The Watertown Sanitation Department would like to thank the Watertown residents for their awesome support of the Single Stream Recycling collection program in Watertown. These are the special features of Single Stream Recycling:
- All recyclable materials are placed in the tan 95 gallon container provided by the city
- Recycling is collected every other week on the same day as your garbage
- Areas north of Third Avenue North and all of Lake Kampeska are in recycle route A
- Areas south of Third Avenue North are in recycle route B
- Refer to the color coded calendar in the Refuse and Recycling Manual to determine what week you should place your recycling container out for collection.
Tan 95 gallon Recycle containers with wheels and attached lids are available for residents to use. Call the Watertown Sanitation Department at 605-882-6219 or complete the request form to request a recycle container be delivered to your home.
Information covering recyclable items include:
- Paper, plastic, metal, and cardboard are mixed together for single stream recycle collection
- Please note glass is not recycled. Place glass items in your garbage container
- Most plastic bottles that have a neck smaller than the base are recyclable in our area. For example milk jugs, plastic pop bottles and water bottles, dish soap, and shampoo containers are recyclable. Remove all screw on lids and place in your garbage
- Aerosol cans may be recycled provided they are completely empty and the plastic caps are removed
- Aluminum, steel, and bi-metal cans do not have to be rinsed and labels do not need to be removed
Recyclable paper includes:
- Newspapers, coupon pages, glossy inserts, and flyers
- Magazines, catalogs, office paper, computer paper, and phone books
- Clean corrugated or non-corrugated (pop or beer cases, cake mix, cracker, cereal) cardboard in your recycling container
Examples of items that are not recycled and should go in your regular garbage are:
- Items soiled with food or oil
- Cardboard milk and cardboard or foam egg cartons
- Antifreeze, oil, pesticide, herbicide, and fertilizer containers
- Ice cream buckets, Styrofoam cups, and butter or yogurt containers
- Shredded paper;
- Scrap such as pie tins, tin foil, or paint cans
- Glass
- Window envelopes and padded envelopes
Yard waste is collected in the green 95 gallon containers by an automated side-loading truck. To purchase a container:
- Call the Watertown Sanitation Department at 605-882-6219 or complete the request form. If the container request form is used, you will need to call the landfill after submission and use a credit card to purchase a container. Your container will be delivered in about one week after payment.
- Drive to the landfill, pay with cash, check, or credit card and take the container with you.
- Pay with cash, check, or credit card at the City Finance Office at City Hall. Your container will be delivered in about one week.
- Refer to the color coded calendar in the Refuse and Recycling Manual to determine the weeks that the Yard Waste Collection Truck is in operation (Weather Permitting).
Residents are allowed to purchase more than one container for their yard waste needs. There is no additional charge on your utility bill for yard waste collection. The green yard waste containers are picked up weekly by the grass truck on the same day as your garbage collection during yard waste season. Dates typically begin in early April and typically end in late November. These dates are announced in the local media.
Only grass clippings, leaves, and garden vegetation are placed in the green 95-gallon container. No branches, bushes, or wood are allowed in yard waste containers. They do not compost well.
The green 95-gallon yard waste containers are the property of the resident that purchases them. If you move, you may take the green yard waste container with you. Do not take the blue refuse or tan recycling container with you.
Compost is a specialty fertilizer used to improve the physical and chemical characteristics of the soil to which it is applied. Due to the homeowners use of pesticides and herbicides, small amounts of these products may be present in the compost. The City of Watertown makes no expressed or implied claims for this product other than what is contained in the label. Compost is available at the Watertown Regional Landfill.
Personal Use
Grass clippings, leaves, and garden vegetation are composted at the landfill. After composting and screening, the compost is available to the public for personal use. Each Watertown resident may receive up to 2 tons (4,000 lbs.) per year at no charge by showing a utility bill stub for their current residence.
Cost
There is a charge of $20 per ton for additional material or if a utility bill is not presented. Non-residents may purchase compost at a cost of $20 per ton.
The landfill accepts and recycles white goods. The cooling compound or refrigerant will be removed at the landfill at no additional cost to the customer. All doors must be removed from refrigerators and freezers, and they must be emptied of all contents before they are brought to the landfill. These items need to be secured or covered (as all loads are) to insure that doors and trays do not blow off during transport. All uncovered loads are charged double as required by ordinance.
Christmas trees stripped of all lights, ornaments, and decorations will be picked up for the two weeks following Christmas on normal collection days. Christmas trees should not be placed in plastic bags. Exact dates will be announced using local media. After this period, Christmas trees and appropriate tipping fee will need to be brought to the landfill by the resident.