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1. When will my street be swept?

Residential streets are swept once per quarter, between the hours of 8:00am and 4:00pm. All other areas will be swept starting at 11:00pm and will be completed by 7:00am. The intent of these sweeping times is to sweep when there are fewer cars in the areas begin swept.
At this time, Augusta cannot provide you an exact day your street will be swept, however, we can provide you the week in the quarters your street will be cleaned. To identify the week your street will be swept, please use our collection lookup at the top of the page.

We suggest that you;

Mark street sweeping weeks on your central family calendar or set a reoccurring reminder in your electronic calendar.
Organize reminders through your neighborhood association.

2. Who do I contact if I have a concern?

Please contact 311 if you have concerns regarding our street sweeping program.

3. What benefits does street sweeping provide?

The Augusta’s Stormwater Permit issued by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division has stringent requirements for the control of trash and for street sweeping. Regular street sweeping is an effective method to remove pollutants before they are washed into waterways by rainfall. Street sweeping removes approximately 584 tons per month of debris and contaminants that would otherwise remain in the street and eventually end up in our storm drain conveyance system potentially causing flooding and in the end polluting our creeks and ocean.

4. Why is the City contracting out street sweeping?

Augusta currently has the manpower to operate one sweeper on a continuous basis. This is not enough resources to successfully meet the needs of Augusta. Simply put, there was more work than Augusta’s resources could achieve. Historically, we worked on problem areas and request for service. Augusta needed to move to a routine maintenance program in order to meet the requirements set in our stormwater permit. Therefore, we contracted for the routine maintenance. Augusta will continue to sweep problem areas, which need additional attention between routine sweeps.

5. What about sweeping up leaves?

During the winter months the focus of the City’s street sweeping efforts is leaf removal to help keep drains clear. To better assist sweepers, do not rake, blow or pile up leaves in the street. The sweeper cannot pick up large loads and debris will be left for you to remove. Please place leaves from your trees out for collection under the yard waste program, which you receive as part of your solid waste collection. Street sweeping is intended to clean what naturally present on the street. Too often, residents or their gardeners will blow all of the grass cuttings, leaves and small branches from pruning in the street.

6. Why wasn't sweeping completed in front of my home?

There are many reasons why the sweeper may not have been able to remove debris from your street. Most often, it’s because items such as cars, bicycles, toys, basketball hoops and refuse containers are blocking the roadway. Vehicles parked too close to each other for the sweeper to maneuver between them are another cause. Low hanging trees and shrubs can prevent sweepers from cleaning in front of your home as well.

7. What are the regular hours of service?

Residential street sweeping will be conducted between the hours of 8:00am and 4:00pm. A street sweeping “night shift” will sweep all other areas between the hours of 11:00pm and 7:00am.

8. What can you do to help street sweepers?

Keeping the roadway in front of your home free of large objects and obstructions is the best way to assist street sweeping. We, therefore, ask residents to follow these guidelines:
Remove any vehicle parked on the street – any vehicle (car, truck, boat trailer, or recreational vehicle) parked on the street prevents the sweeper from reaching the curb lane where debris accumulates.
Keep large debris out of the road – large sticks, branches and pine needles will clog and jam the sweepers’ operating systems.
No garbage cans or yard waste in the street during sweep week – the municipal code does not allow garbage, recycling and yard waste containers to be on the street past the regular day of collection.
Trim trees – trees should be pruned to 14 feet above the curb. Contact 311 to report low branches if the tree is in the right of way. This is usually for trees growing between the sidewalk and the street.
Report low hanging wires – wires which are too low can cause sweepers and other large vehicles to hit them, and possibly tear them down. Please contact the company whose wires are too low, or contact 311 to report such issues.

9. What if the week my sweeping is scheduled falls on a holiday?

The contracts shall provide services on all legal holidays, except New Years Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Services will be delayed one day for each of the holidays listed. However, all sweeping for the weekly service area will be swept within that week.

10. Safety precautions near sweepers

Be sure to keep a safe distance between you and the sweeper at all times. Try to avoid maneuvering around sweeper trucks; move off to the side of the road until you are sure it is safe to continue.

Always keep children and pets a safe distance from the sweepers. Do not ride, run or play near the trucks.