It’s Leaf Season!

Fall is here in Salt Lake City and leaves are beginning to drop.

This is a friendly reminder to please use your brown compost bin to dispose of leaves. The brown bins go to the compost facility at the Salt Lake Valley landfill, keeping this methane-producing organic material out of the traditional landfill.

Keep Leaves Out of Your Gutter and the Storm Drains

It’s also very important to keep leaves out of your gutter. Please do not blow or sweep leaves into your gutter or the storm drains.

We also appreciate your help collecting leaves and other organic material in your gutter and placing it in the brown compost bins.

Why?

Leaves can block storm drains and cause localized flooding.

The storm drain system also flows directly to our local waterways. It’s called stormwater runoff and the pollutants it carries are transported straight to our streams, rivers, and lakes. This differs from the sanitary sewer system that your house is connected to, where wastewater is sent to a treatment plant.

Leaves, grass clippings, and other excess amounts of organic matter deplete dissolved oxygen in water because organic matter uses oxygen as it decomposes. This can have serious impacts on fish, insects and other aquatic life that need oxygen to survive.

This is why it is important to not to sweep or blow leaves into your gutters.

Tips for managing the autumnal deluge

• Mulch your leaves. Read our guide to mulching here.
  

  A Salt Lake City resident mulching leaves using a lawnmower.

• Put the remaining leaves in your compost bin. (No bags please)
• Do you have a lot of leaves? Request an extra container!