Augusta Contractor Begins Debris Collection

Augusta Contractor Begins Debris Collection

AUGUSTA, GA (October 11, 2024) - Augusta's contractor, CERES, has begun collecting debris from Hurricane Helene across Augusta-Richmond County. This collection will include all non-bagged yard debris that has been placed on Augusta's right-of-way. Residents are asked to not place debris in the roadway or block private driveways. Types of debris currently being collected include:

• Branches and Limbs
• Trees
• Trunks

There is no requirement for cut length. Residents are also asked to place debris away from utility poles, low-hanging utility lines, water meters, mailboxes, etc. Leave room for trash cans to avoid missing your regular garbage collection.

In coming days, the contractor will be cutting down leaning trees, heavily damaged trees, and hanging limbs. When this occurs, the stump will be left for the time being and removed during the final stages of the project. Any trees that have fallen from private property into the city right-of-way will be cut by the contractor at the right-of-way line. The remaining portions will be left for the property owner to place in the right-of-way for the next pass.

The contractor is not permitted to go onto private property to remove debris under any circumstances and should not be asked to do so. Please note the following exceptions:

1. Any waste that has been bagged is not eligible for pick up from the contractor. Bagged waste will be collected by your normal garbage pick-up.
2. No construction or demolition debris will be picked up during this stage. Please do not mix this type of debris with vegetative debris as it will significantly slow down the removal process. Once vegetative debris collection has been collected, guidance for other types of debris will be announced.

Augusta's contractors are addressing the hardest hit areas first. These are areas where roadways are being impacted and underground infrastructure such as water lines and fire hydrants have been damaged. Our goal is to complete removal of all debris within 90 days. Please note that Augusta cannot provide estimated timeframes for specific streets. Augusta

will provide advance notice of the "final push" (last pass) before the final collection is complete.

Media interested in covering this topic may contact Chiquita Richardson at 706-825-1076.