‘It’s just a headache’: Waco resident left with debris along front yard after issues with city pick up

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - When Waco was hit with severe storms over the last few months, many residents were left with downed trees and branches all over their yard.

Some residents are still cleaning up all the brush, and one Waco resident says she’s frustrated after learning that the city is no longer picking up large piles of brush and debris.

Pat Johnson explained that she had several downed trees in her backyard, and it took her a month just to chop everything up and bring it out front.

“It’s just a headache,” Johnson shared. “I’m 73 years old and I can do as much as I can, but this heat is getting to me too… my husband can’t help at all.”

She says her stepson had to drive down two weekends in a row just to cut down her fallen trees and put everything out front.

According to Kody Petillo, the Director of Solid Waste, they had temporarily expanded their services to help with the cleanup.

“After those storm events we lifted the restrictions on the size limits to collect larger piles to support our community,” Petillo said.

But when Johnson called to see why they never collected her brush piles, she was shocked to find out they are now back to normal operations.

“I couldn’t believe the city said that they were through picking up big storm debris, big piles and stuff,” she said.

While the city will still pick up brush every other week, they have to be within the 4 x 4 x 4 feet size limit or else it will not be collected.

“That size requirement was established in 2020,” Petillo explained, “at that time there was really an unlimited size for brush and at that point the department just could not keep up with the demand”.

Residents can split everything into separate piles to meet the size requirement, but collection services will still only pick up one pile at a time.

Johnson says, “it’s going to take a while because this is just a sample of what’s in the backyard yet to come. This may be a third or a fourth of what still needs chopped up and brought out.”

Her only other option would be to hire some help, which she says they can’t afford, meaning there’s not much she can do unless she is able to get some extra help.

“I don’t know what to do. I mean it’s just at a standstill and there’s so much more in the backyard to come,” Johnson shared.

If you do still have large amounts of brush that need to be picked up make sure it is within the 4x4x4 size limit and follows all other limb and brush collection rules:

• Residents are allowed one brush pile pick-up, twice a month, with their green carts.
• One brush pile no larger than 4′x 4′x 4′ will be collected. (Larger piles will not be collected.)
• No limbs larger than 3″ in diameter or stumps will be collected.
• Please do not tie your limbs.
• Please do not place your brush over your water meter.
• Brush at curbside should only include brush generated by residents at that address.
• Residents do not need to call to request brush collections.