Sandy's bulk-waste collection crews begin shifts at 6:30 a.m., and drivers aim to be "out the door by about 7:00 in the morning," said James Webb, master driver, during a ride-along with a local host. Webb described daily inspections, seasonal routing and recent improvements in how residents prepare piles for pickup.

Keeping piles two feet from the curb and out of gutters is a primary compliance point, Webb said, because material left in storm drains flows to the Jordan River and ultimately the Great Salt Lake. "We all live downstream," Webb said. "Whatever goes down our storm drain goes to the Jordan River, which ends up in the Great Salt Lake." He added that organics in storm drains reduce oxygen in the water and can harm fish.

The driver described the typical day: trucks are inspected before crews leave and, depending on the route, the East Bench neighborhoods are served first in the fall while the flats are scheduled earlier in the spring. Webb said crews visited the Wildflower Park neighborhood during the ride-along. "Our shift starts at 06:30AM. Mhmm. And our drivers will get everything ready to go. We'll get their trucks inspected. And, usually, we're out the door by about 07:00 in the morning and on their way up to the cleanup areas," he said.

Webb and the host said compliance with the city's bulk-waste rules, which have been in place about four years, has improved. "A lot of people are starting to follow those ordinances," Webb said, citing better pile size and placement and fewer materials in gutters. The host noted visible improvement over recent cleanups and residents' appreciation for the service in older neighborhoods where landscaping and accumulated debris require periodic removal.

Proximity to a transfer station has shortened travel times and reduced vehicle use, Webb said. On the ride-along the host timed an 11-minute trip from Waterford to the transfer station; Webb contrasted that with previous cycles that could take 1
/2 to 2 hours when trucks went to the Trans Jordan Landfill. "It's been wonderful to have the Trans Jordan Transport Station fire up, get going, and it's really helped," Webb said, adding that the shorter trips lower the program's vehicle mileage.

City leadership's environmental rules and coordination with the transfer station and county household hazardous-waste programs were credited with boosting sustainability and operational efficiency, the host said. Webb encouraged residents to follow the placement rules and keep piles out of gutters so material does not enter storm drains.

The ride-along ended after about a half hour on route; the host thanked Webb for the tour and noted the city sees the bulk-waste program as a popular municipal service.

Sources: interview with James Webb, master driver, during a Sandy bulk-waste collection ride-along.