City of Austin collecting second round of storm debris March 31

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Resource Recovery (ARR), a department of the City of Austin, has started its second pass through the city to collect storm debris from customers, according to a news release from the city. This latest collection should be completed later this week.

ARR is also on the schedule to finish the final pass by the end of April, the release said.

According to the city, ARR is collecting an unprecedented amount of debris from the winter storm. So far, crews have collected more than 166,000 tons of debris in more than 23,000 truckloads through March 20.

Crews typically collect approximately 6,000 tons of material in a year of semiannual large brush collections, the city said.

Customers do not need to call 311 to request a collection for the final citywide pass, the release said. Crews are driving all streets and picking up debris that is properly set at the curb, the city said. Furthermore, all existing 311 service requests for storm debris will be closed at the end of March, prior to the final pass.

"I want to thank our customers for their patience," ARR Director Ken Snipes said. "There has been an incredible amount of tree limbs and branches to collect across the city, over 1.3 million cubic yards worth. This includes four routes covering northwest and southwest Austin where crews have picked up over 100,000 cubic yards of debris on each route already.”

There are a list of guidelines ARR customers should follow as close as possible to avoid collection delays.

Reason why crews may not be able to collect debris on a street could be:

• The pile could have been blocked by a vehicle or set out too close to a mailbox or other personal property. 
• Some setouts may have been too far from the curb or blocked by low-hanging tree limbs.
• Debris may have been incorrectly mixed with bulk items, such as furniture, appliances or fence pieces.

After April, the city said customers should contact 311 to request a special collection for remaining storm debris. Crews will respond to 311 service requests through June 30, the city said.

Furthermore, Austin and Travis County residents can still drop off debris at Austin Water's Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant, 2210 FM 973, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, the release said.

Additionally, the facility will also be open for drop-offs Sunday, March 26, but will be closed on Sundays going forward, according to the city.

For more information on storm debris collection information, visit austintexas.gov/stormdebris.