Every household in Ottumwa has been assigned a 64 gallon, wheeled trash cart for weekly curbside pickup.  All trash should be bagged before it’s placed in the cart. Place all trash in the cart and close the lid. Don’t stack trash on top of the cart. Extra trash can be collected in 32-gallon trash bags with an extra container sticker attached. Extra trash stickers are for bags only, cost $1.00 each and will still be available at local grocery stores. Bags cannot weigh more than 40 pounds.

Put the cart on the curb by the street with the bar facing the street and the wheels facing your property. Keep some space between your cart and the recycling bin, street signs, fire hydrants and anything else that might impede the automated arm from collecting the cart.

Do not put yard waste, hazardous waste, bricks, concrete, dirt or liquids like oil and antifreeze in the trash cart. For information on how to dispose of these materials contact the Landfill or Recycling Center.

Carts stay with the property if you move. Each cart is numbered and the number is assigned to the address where it’s delivered.

Customers can set out an unlimited amount of recyclables in their recycling bin for collection on their regular trash collection day. Use the bin to put the following items in: Newspapers, catalogues, phone books, magazines, corrugated cardboard and paperboard, office paper, plastic bottles and jars, aluminum and steel cans (including empty aerosol cans) and green, brown or clear glass food and beverage containers.  Items that can become windblown must be bagged in transparent bags. Grocery bags are helpful for bagging recyclables, but they are not recyclable in our program.  If you would like to recycle them please take them back to grocery stores.

Contact the Recycling Center for more information about recycling and what items can only be dropped off at the Center. Ask about Household Hazardous Materials disposal by appointment only. 641-683-0685

Bulky Items are large items such as appliances or furniture. All customers may set out one bulky item per week for curbside collection. Once the item is placed out for collection, you must call Bridge City Sanitation at 641-682-1700 to schedule a pick-up. Appliances require a $5.00 appliance sticker to be collected. Appliance stickers are purchased at local grocery stores. Southside residents need to call Bridge City Sanitation by 4:00 pm on Monday for collection on Tuesday, and Northside residents need to call by 4:00 pm on Wednesday for collection on Thursday. Holiday weeks may affect this schedule.

One bulky item per customer per week will be collected instead of multiple bulks. Tires are no longer collected curbside as part of the bulk item program.

Walk up customers are those who cannot physically take their trash and recycling to the curb for collection and whose medical practitioner has submitted a walk up needs a statement to the collection contractor. Download the subscription form and take to your physician. Click here Walkup Application Word Document in B-W You or the physician will fax to Bridge City Sanitation at 641-682-8118. Walk up service is not available for County customers. Walk up customers need to place trash so that it’s visible from the street. Walk up customers do not have to use the 64-gallon carts and should call the contractor at 682-1700 if they do not want a cart.

Customer monthly rate is $22.00 per household. A $2.00 discount for SIEDA qualifying City households will be applied. Yard waste must be in compostable bags, and have a $1.00 green yard waste tag on them, and extra trash bag tags are $1.00. Wapello County customers should call Bridge City Sanitation at 641-682-1700 for details about county trash and recycling collection. County customers no longer subscribe through the City for this service.