Illegal disposal activities and unsightly blight is a common concern among many Ceres residents and City of Ceres staff. Old mattresses, sofas, appliances, tires, and household garbage can often be found along city streets and sidewalks. Illegal dumping is a much bigger problem than it may seem, and the impact is further reaching than you might realize.
- It is a public health hazard.
Waste piles can attract rodents and other disease carrying pests that can pose a threat to human health.
- It is damaging to the environment.
Seepage from garbage piles can contaminate ground water and leek into the local waterways causing water quality issues on an already strained natural resource.
- It can lower property values and impact economic development.
Potential buyers and/or investors can be off-put by blight and unsightly trash. And when properties don’t sell, it can affect the whole market.
- It is a potential safety issue.
Trash piles tend to be highly flammable and nearby structures could be vulnerable if a fire erupts.
The City of Ceres offers programs for proper disposal of certain waste items and materials. Twice per year, City of Ceres residential utility customers are provided bulky Item pick-ups for oversized waste that does not fit in the regular garbage cart. The City also offers a seasonal Leaf and Limb collection for residential customers for curbside collection of garden and yard trimmings. Customers utilizing either of these opportunities, however, must adhere to the program guidelines.
The bottom line is dumping waste illegally is wrong and damaging to the entire community. Proper methods and resources to dispose of any material are available. The City of Ceres penalty structure allows for violators to be fined up to $500 when issued by the Public Works department. However, the penal code allows for up to $3,000 and violators can be sited with criminal charges when issued by law enforcement personnel.
If you need more information on how to dispose of certain wastes, or would like to report an illegal disposal issue, visit the links in the right column of this page or call (209) 538-5732.