Sanitation and Recycling | City of Devils Lake, North Dakota

City of Devils Lake - Devils Lake North Dakota

Devils Lake Sanitation Department

Corey Erickson serves as the Devils Lake Sanitation Supervisor.

Contact
Phone Number: (701) 662-7624
Address: 204 2nd Street NE, Devils Lake, ND 58301
Hours: Monday - Friday, 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Email Corey Erickson

Duties

The Sanitation Department handles issues regarding garbage collection, recycling, inert landfill and transfer station operations.

Current Sanitation Department Commissioner

The City provides informational calendars containing garbage pickup, recycling, transfer station, and inert landfill information. These calendars can be picked up at City Office located at 423 6th Street NE.

Fees And Rates

Maps

Municipal Codes

Devils Lake Municipal Code

Health and Safety, Title 8
Utility Bill, Title 3, Chapter 3.01

Garbage Collection Procedures

City of Devils Lake residential and commercial utility customers have the choice of using the bag system, can system, or dumpster service for collection of their garbage. Curbside recycling pickup is included in the charge for residential accounts only. To sign up for the service of your choice, call City Office at (701) 662-7600, ext. 221. All accounts, residential and commercial alike, have a base charge each month for the availability of garbage service. Additional charges are based on which type of service you choose.

The City is divided into areas for weekly residential garbage collection. See map above (regular garbage schedule) to find out what day of the week your garbage is picked up. Garbage in residential areas must be placed out for collection by 7:00 a.m. Any changes to normal garbage collection will be posted in the newspaper or on the radio.

Bag System

The bag system consists of using special City bags to dispose of your garbage. 30 gallon bags can be purchased at Walmart, Kmart, Leever’s County Market, or Wally’s Supermarket for $2.00 per bag, 15 gallon bags can be purchased at City Office for $1.00 per bag. When bags are full, place out where your garbage is regularly collected. Cost for the bag system is the base charge each month plus your cost of purchasing the bags. Collection is once per week.

Can System

Choosing the can system seems to be the most economical for households in the City.

The can system allows you to choose how many cans per week you need to dispose of your garbage and a sticker is issued for each can to be collected. Sticker(s) must be on the can or in a prominently displayed location (garbage rack, post, fence, etc.) so they are visible to the garbage collection personnel. Any garbage you place out that does not fit in your can must be placed in the special City bag for collection OR IT WILL NOT BE PICKED UP.

Customers must supply their own garbage cans with a maximum size of 32 gallons. All household waste shall be placed in garbage bags before being placed in garbage containers. To comply with OSHA and Workforce Safety & Insurance requirements, and to avoid injuries to our sanitation workers, the maximum allowable weight of container contents is 50 pounds per can. Please make sure cans do not have water standing in them before you place your garbage in the can. Collection is once per week. Cost for the can system is the base charge per month plus an additional charge based on the number of cans you have picked up.

Dumpster System

Dumpsters are available in 1, 1.5, 3, or 6 yard capacity and arrangements for dumpster rental or purchase may be made by calling the Sanitation Department at (701) 662-7624 or City Office at (701) 662-7600, ext. 221. Cost for dumpster service is a base charge each month plus an additional charge for each cubic yard of garbage picked up. Dumpster pickup may be as little as once a week or as often as 6 times a week.

Weather Conditions

There will be no garbage pickup on any day the temperature or other weather conditions put sanitation personnel or equipment at risk. Announcements will be made on local radio stations any time service is delayed due to weather conditions.

There Will Be No Garbage Pickup On The Following Holidays:

New Year's Day
Martin Luther King Day
President's Day
Good Friday
Memorial Day
4th Of July
Labor Day
Veteran's Day
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day

If your garbage collection day falls on a holiday, pickup will be the following working day.

If Your Garbage Is Collected On The Boulevard:

If your collection is on the boulevard, containers shall be placed within 15 feet of the curb, either on the ground or in portable garbage stands. After pickup, the stands must be relocated to private property and not left on the boulevard.

If Your Garbage Is Collected In The Alley:

Containers collected in alleys shall be placed in stands within 15 feet of the alley, and be accessible at all times of the year. Due to thawing conditions during the Spring of each year, those with alley collection will have collection on the boulevard during that time. Please watch your newspaper for information on when to place your garbage on the boulevard.

If You Have Extra Garbage That Will Not Fit In Your Can:

Purchase a special City bag and place it for pickup beside your regular garbage cans. Extra garbage that is not in a can with a sticker or in a special City bag will not be picked up. 30 gallon special City bags are available at Kmart, Walmart, Leever's County Market, and Wally's Supermarket for $2.00 per bag. And, for a limited time, 15 gallon special City bags are available at City Office for $1.00 per bag.

Acceptable Items For Curbside Recycling Pickup

Curbside Recycling The City of Devils Lake contracts with Lake Region Corporation for residential pickup
of recyclable items. Any questions about residential recycling may be
directed to them at (701) 662-8681.

To find out which day your curbside recycling is to be picked up, please refer
to the City calendar. If you do not have a City calendar, they can be picked
up at the City Office located at 423 6th Street NE.

Each time there is an R on the City calendar on the day your garbage
is picked up, put your recyclables out for collection as well by 7:00 a.m.
Residential customers may receive up to 3 recycling bins at no charge by stopping
at the Recycling Center. Place your recyclables in the same place you place your
garbage for pickup. If your collection day falls on a holiday, it will be picked
up the following working day.

Plastic:

acceptable: only narrow neck plastic bottles or jugs allowed, #1 - 7
not acceptable: plastic tubs (such as margarine, yogurt or ice cream containers), toys, oil containers, bags
preparation: rinse clean, remove covers and labels, flatten bottles to save space

Cardboard:

acceptable: only corrugated boxes, cereal boxes, shoe boxes allowed
not acceptable: cardboard containers with food debris
preparation: open and flatten all boxes

Tin/Aluminum:

acceptable: only tin food cans or aluminum cans allowed
not acceptable: aluminum foil or pie plates, paint cans, aerosol cans, lawn chairs, scrap metal
preparation: rinse clean, remove covers and labels, flatten to save space

Paper:

acceptable: newspaper, magazines, paper grocery bags, greeting cards, office paper, junk mail allowed
not acceptable: carbon paper, hard cover books, paper egg cartons, wrapping paper, milk cartons or similar waxed cartons, cereal boxes and other similar boxes
preparation: tie in bundles or put in paper grocery bags to prevent blowing around

Glass:

acceptable: only clear or colored glass bottles or jars allowed
not acceptable: mirrors, light bulbs, window glass, glass vases, dishes or coffee mugs
preparation: rinse clean, remove covers and labels

Acceptable Items At The Drop Off Site At The Recycling Center

City residents with a residential account may take small amounts of branches or tree trimmings to the Recycling Center. Any amounts larger than a pickup load must be taken to the landfill, where they can be dumped free of charge.

Ramsey County residents who live outside the City limits MAY drop off paper, cardboard, plastics, glass, or tin at the Recycling Center site. Ramsey County residents are NOT allowed to drop off grass, leaves, or branches.

DO NOT LEAVE PAPER OR PLASTIC BAGS IN RECYCLING BINS OR AT THE GRASS/LEAVES SITE

Misuse of the recycling center drop off site could result in a $500 fine. If not sure, call and ask if your items are acceptable by calling (701) 662-7624 or (701) 662-7600, ext. 221.

Using the recycling bins improperly results in contaminated loads that must be hauled to the landfill, rather than being recycled.

Newspaper, magazines, office paper, junk mail allowed.
Only corrugated boxes, cereal boxes, and shoe boxes allowed. Pizza
boxes or containers with food residue are not acceptable.
Only clear or colored glass jars or bottles allowed. Rinse, remove covers
and labels.
Only narrow neck plastic bottles or jugs allowed. Ice cream pails
or margarine containers are not acceptable. Rinse, remove covers and
labels.
Only aluminum cans or tin food cans allowed. Rinse, remove covers and labels.
Used motor oil may be dumped in the specially marked tank inside the
fence. Do not leave containers or oil filters.
Only grass and leaves allowed in the designated area.
Only small amounts of branches allowed in designated area.

Other Garbage Items

For those large clean up, construction, or demolition projects, the City has available for rent roll-off units. These units are available in 21 and 30 yard capacity. Call the Sanitation Department at (701) 662-7624 or City Office at (701) 662-7600, ext. 221 for details on availability and cost.
Cell phones can be recycled by dropping them off at the National Guard Recruiting Center on College Drive S. They recycle them for use by US troops stationed overseas.
Microwaves, computer monitors, and televisions may be disposed of in your regular garbage by putting them in a special City bag and placing it next to your garbage can. If the item you want to dispose of is too large to fit into the bag, tape the bag to the item and it will be picked up. These items are also not acceptable during the City's special pickup or at the inert landfill.
Household appliances may be disposed of at the landfill for $5.00 each or at the transfer station for $7.50, or free of charge at your home during special pickup months. There is an extra charge of $5.00 if the appliance contains freon.
Any City resident who has a garbage account may put fish remains in a special City bag and dispose of it at the Recycling Center at no additional cost between the hours of 6:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Auto batteries are not acceptable in landfills or in your household garbage. Used auto batteries can be taken to H.E. Everson at 211 College Drive S or take them to the store where you buy your new battery.
Hypodermic needles need to be disposed of properly to prevent injury to your family or those who pick up your garbage. Place needles or other sharp items in a covered pop bottle or a coffee can and put in your regular garbage.
Empty aerosol cans may be disposed of in your regular garbage, not your recycling bin. Make sure that cans are empty by spraying contents into a cardboard box until gone.
Outdated vitamins or medications cannot be recycled. To dispose of medications in solid form, place in regular garbage; medication in liquid form may be flushed down the toilet or dried out and placed in regular garbage. Be sure that medications placed in the garbage are not accessible to children.
Small amounts of household batteries are permissible in our landfill. To keep even this small amount of batteries out of our landfill, consider purchasing re-chargeable batteries for flashlights, toys, cameras, cassette players, and other household uses.
After you've bagged those birds or processed your deer, any City resident may put game carcasses in the specially marked dumpster at the Recycling Center. Please put remains in garbage bags.
Used clothing can be recycled by donating them to the Dakota Boys & Girls Ranch at 408 Highway 2 W, Joseph's Closet at 501 4th St NE, or the ARC Thrift Store at 213 5th Street NE. You may also donate furniture, household goods, books, shoes, and other miscellaneous items.
Excess or outdated household cleaners and chemicals need to be disposed of properly. Read label directions carefully for correct disposal method.
Household quantities of light bulbs may be put in with your regular garbage. For protection from broken glass, put fluorescent bulbs in the package they come in; put regular bulbs in a coffee can or similar container; and wrap the new compact fluorescent bulbs in plastic and then place in a container. Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and other fluorescent light bulbs contain small amounts of mercury, about 1/100th of the amount of mercury found in a mercury fever thermometer. Exposure is possible only when a bulb has been broken.
Empty paint cans or aerosol cans must be disposed of in your regular garbage. Make sure spray cans are empty by spraying contents into a cardboard box until gone. Paint cans may have a thin skin of dried paint left in the can. Paint cans are no longer acceptable in your recycling bin. Left over paint can be poured into a plastic lined box and mixed with cat litter, sawdust or sand, left to dry, then placed in regular garbage.
Christmas Trees will be picked up the 2nd week of January. Place trees in the same place as your garbage is picked up and have trees free of bags, stands, or decorations.

Aluminum cans may be recycled or they can be sold at Lake Region Corporation. Cans may be dropped off between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 224 3rd Street NW (1 block south of the Devils Lake Chrysler Center). Call (701) 662-8681 for more information.

Project Safe Send

Project Safe Send was started in 1992 to help farmers safely and legally get rid of unusable pesticides. Since then, more than 6,400 people have brought in over 2.3 million pounds of pesticides.

A collection site is set up each summer at the ND Department of Transportation in Devils Lake. If you have pesticides to dispose of, call the ND Department of Agriculture toll free at 1-800-242-7535 for information on the time of the next Project Safe Send collection. Pre-registration is not required, but it helps select and plan collections.

Inert Landfill, Transfer Station, And Recycling Center Operations

The City of Devils Lake operates an inert landfill. Hours of operation are by appointment at 9:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m., Monday - Friday - call the Sanitation Department at (701) 662-7624 or City Office at (701) 662-7600, ext. 221 to make an appointment. Acceptable items include furniture, carpet, appliances (additional charge if appliance contains freon), construction debris, glass, grass and leaves, branches, tires (additional charge for tires), and any other items not labeled as household garbage and approved by the ND State Health Department. If you have any questions about what is acceptable, you may call the Sanitation Department at (701) 662-7624 or City Office at (701)662-7600, ext. 221. Current cost to bring items to the inert landfill.

Non-city residents will be charged two (2) times the regular rates at the transfer station, inert landfill, and recycling center.

The City also operates a Transfer Station. All household garbage collected is taken to the Transfer Station, loaded into roll-off units, and transported to the Sawyer Landfill daily. Current cost to bring items to the transfer station.

Recyclable items picked up at curbside are sorted and loaded into roll-off containers at the Recycling Center and then transported to Waste Management in Grand Forks and then shipped to an end market recycler.

At the Recycling Center, located at 204 2nd Street NE, corrugated cardboard and fiberboard are made into 1200 pound bales and then shipped by semi to a mill. With two balers, the operation can produce 6 bales per day. Current cost to bring items to the recycling center.

A drop off site is located at the Recycling Center for grass and leaves, plastics, newspaper, cardboard, glass, used motor oil, and tin/aluminum.

Special Pickups/Construction Roll-Off Rentals

Need a special pickup? The cost for a special pickup is a base charge, volume based on a per cubic yard charge (1 cubic yard minimum), and equipment charges as outlined in the City's Resolution of Fees and Rates. Current cost for a special pickup.

For those large construction projects, or for demolition or clean up projects, the City has 21 or 30 yard roll-off units available for rent. Current cost for a roll-off rental.

For more details, to schedule a special pickup, or to rent a construction roll-off, call the Sanitation Department at (701) 662-7624 or City Office at (701) 662-7600, ext. 221.

Back To Top

Spring And Fall Clean Up

The City of Devils Lake promotes City wide Spring and Fall clean up each year both by allowing City residents to go to the inert landfill free of charge on specified dates (see information below) and by providing a free special pickup up to 5 cubic yards of material (about 2 pickup loads) in the spring and the fall for anyone with a residential City account. Any amount exceeding 5 cubic yards will be picked up and billed to the homeowner according to the City's Resolution of Fees and Rates.

Acceptable items for this pickup include: any item not considered household garbage such as: furniture, carpet, appliances (there is an extra charge if the appliance has freon), tires (there is an extra charge for tires), wood, bagged leaves and grass, small cut trees and branches, small amounts of construction debris. Any glass items such as windows, should be set aside from the rest of the items so they can be hand loaded to reduce the chance of broken glass. Microwaves, televisions, and computer monitors are not acceptable items. They may be disposed of in your regular garbage by putting the item in a special City bag and placing next to your garbage can. If it does not fit in the bag, tape the bag around the item.

See the "Special Pickup" map to see which week the pickup will take place in your neighborhood. All items must be placed out by 7:00 a.m. on Monday in the same place you put your regular garbage (please make sure your garbage can is not right by the items to be picked up or your can may get picked up too!). Place your things in an open area so the crew and trucks are able to easily access and load the items. Due to the volume of items placed out and the time involved in picking up these items, the City is not able to come back for items that were not placed out in time for pickup.

To be sure not to miss the Spring and Fall clean up dates scheduled to take place in your neighborhood, we suggest that you pick up the City calendar. Calendars can be picked up at City Office located at 423 6th St NE. These calendars contain dates for the spring and fall clean up scheduled to be picked up at your residence and the dates when City residents are allowed to haul unwanted items to the inert landfill themselves.

Inert Landfill Expands Free Days

There will be no charge for City residents to haul to the inert landfill from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. for the 2 consecutive Saturdays before the spring and fall special pickups. The landfill will also be open for free dumping by appointment at 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, for two weeks prior to special pickups. Those with a City residential account are encouraged to take advantage of these free landfill days and haul their items to the landfill themselves. City residents also have the opportunity to haul items free of charge from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. the 2nd Saturday of each month during the summer months, May through September. These free landfill days are open only to those who have a City residential account.

Acceptable items for the inert landfill include: any item not considered household garbage such as: furniture, carpet, appliances (there is an extra charge if appliance has freon), tires (there is an extra charge for tires), wood, bagged leaves and grass, small cut trees and branches, small amounts of construction debris. Microwaves, computer monitors, and televisions are not acceptable items. They may be disposed of in your regular garbage by putting the item in a special City bag and placing next to your garbage can. If it does not fit in the bag, tape the bag around the item.

Going On An Extended Vacation Or South For The Winter?

If so, you may contact City Office at 701-662-7600, ext. 221 and let them know your date of departure and return (must be greater than 1 month). All garbage charges (with the exception of the base charge plus landfill closure) will be credited to your account for all the months no water is used. If all services are disconnected (removing the water meter), no utility services will be billed while you are gone but when the water meter is re-installed, you will be charged a re-connect fee of $35.00.