The following guide will give Naugatuck residents a complete and comprehensive informational guide to the operations of the Public Works Department. This department is responsible for a variety of tasks, divided into two sub-departments; Road Maintenance and Sanitation / Recycling. Also included is information residents should find helpful from other town departments, private businesses and charitable organizations.
Borough of Naugatuck residents living in single family homes and up to 4 unit apartment houses are eligible for curbside collection of household trash and recycling. All Naugatuck residents are eligible to use the Recycling Center and Bulky Trash Drop-Off on Rubber Avenue. All costs associated with the collection and disposal of household trash and recycling are paid through Naugatuck tax dollars. By recycling and reusing as much material as possible Naugatuck residents can not only be more environmentally responsible but they will reduce disposal costs, therefore tax dollars.
The Naugatuck Street Commission meets the fourth Wednesday of each month, at 7:00 PM, at the Town Hall. The Commission, Chaired by Mr. John Ford, oversees the Public Works Department and acts as a sounding board for citizen complaints.
We hope you continue to use this guide for future reference.
Sincerely,
Staff Naugatuck Public Works Office 246 Rubber Avenue 720-7071 or 720-7072
Naugatuck Public Works Garage 510 Rubber Avenue 720-7070
| Á | WHAT’S ACCEPTE | HOW TO PREPARE | NOT ACCEPTABLE |
| D | |||
| Metal Food & Beverage Containers Glass Jars & Bottles Plastic Bottles Milk & Juice Cartons & Juice Boxes | Aluminum & tin cans, Aluminum foil & trays. Clear or colored food & beverage bottles. Narrow-necked #1 & #2 plastic bottles. Milk & juice waxed paper cartons & juice boxes. | Rinse clean, tuck lid into can. Do not crush, labels are okay Rinse clean, throw out lids as trash. Rinse clean, throw out lids as trash. Do not flatten. Rinse, remove straw, don’t flatten. | NO Spray Cans, NO Paint Cans, NO Hangers. NO drinking glasses, NO ceramics, NO windows, NO light bulbs. NO oil, NO antifreeze, NO chemical bottles. NO plastic over 3 gallons. |
| Corrugated Cardboard | Brown corrugated cardboard only. | Flatten boxes or fold into 2 ft. sq. tie into bundles. | NO pizza, NO cereal, NO gift, NO colored & thin, and NO waxed boxes. |
| Newspaper, Magazines, Catalogs & Junk Mail | Newspaper & all inserts, magazines, catalogs & junk mail. | Tie into bundles or place in brown paper bags. Don’t mix with cans & bottles. Remove plastic bags & wraps. | NO plastic bags, NO dirty paper, No telephone books. |
Recycling is collected every other week at resident’s homes. Collection begins at 7:00 AM please have items at the curb early. Collection remains on schedule for all holidays except the following; Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day. Collection is suspended on those holidays only and all collections for the rest of the week are one day late.
| Á | WHAT’S ACCEPTE | HOW TO PREPARE | NOT ACCEPTABLE |
| D | |||
| Metal Food & Beverage Containers | Aluminum & tin cans, Aluminum foil & trays. | Rinse clean, tuck lid into can. Do not crush, label can remain. | NO Spray Cans, NO Paint Cans, NO Hangers. |
| Glass Jars & Bottles Plastic Bottles Milk & Juice Cartons & Juice Boxes | Clear or colored food & beverage bottles. Narrow-necked #1 & #2 plastic bottles. Milk & juice waxed paper cartons & juice boxes. | Rinse clean, throw out lids as trash. Rinse clean, throw out lids as trash. Do not flatten. Rinse, remove straw, don’t flatten. | NO drinking glasses, NO ceramics, NO windows, NO light bulbs. NO oil, NO antifreeze, NO chemical bottles. NOT over 3 gallon size. NO Tubs, trays or plates. |
| Corrugated Cardboard | Brown corrugated cardboard only. | Flatten boxes or fold into 2 ft. sq. tie into bundles. | NO pizza, NO cereal, NO gift, NO colored & thin, and NO waxed boxes. |
| Newspaper, Magazines, Catalogs, & Junk Mail | Newspaper & all inserts, magazines & catalogs. | Tie into bundles or place in brown paper bags. Don’t mix with cans & bottles. | NO plastic bags, NO dirty paper. |
| Used Motor Oil, Oil Filters, & Antifreeze Propane Tanks Automotive Batteries Tires School Paper Copy Paper Used Clothing | Crank case oil or antifreeze. Used barbecue tanks. Lead-acid car batteries only. Car tires from homeowners only. Disposal fee charged Office, copy, or school paper, wrapping paper, & paperback books. Used clothing & shoes in good condition. | Keep fluids separated. Don’t use chemical, bleach, or detergent bottles to transport. Empty tanks only, leave valves intact. Fee charged for tanks over 20 pound size. Tires with or without rims accepted. Remove plastic, elastics & paper clips. Bring in plastic or paper bags. | NO kerosene, NO gasoline, NO paint, NO Hazardous Waste. The Borough reserves the right to limit quantities of tanks brought for disposal. NO dry-cell (NO household alkaline batteries). NO commercial or large truck tires. NO tissues, NO towels, and NO cereal boxes, NO hard cover books, NO carbon paper. NO toys, NO furniture or appliances accepted. |
| Plastic 6-Pack | 6-pack rings. | No need to cut apart. | |
| Rings |
| Á | WHAT’S ACCEPTE | HOW TO PREPARE | NOT ACCEPTABLE |
| D | |||
| Cooking Oil | Used cooking and fryolator oil. | Bring in clean plastic container. | No solid grease, residents only NO commercial use. |
| Telephone Books Leaves Brush, Branches & Christmas Trees | SNET Phone books only. Leaves & pine needles, hay & soft plant material. Branches 6 inches in diameter and less. Cut Christmas trees | Collection box at shopping plazas in fall or Recycle Center year round. Accepted at Recycle Center year round - In 30 gallon brown paper bags only. Cut branches & brush into maximum of 6 to 8 feet long. Remove tinsel and take out of plastic bag. | NO Acorns or sticks. NO dirt or rocks. NO demolition wood, NO tree trunks or stumps. NO plastic bags, NO dirt. |
Grass Grass clippings Leave on the lawn, compost at Grass cannot be mixed home or bring to Recycle Center with household trash.
Clippings
in paper bags.
| ITEM | WHAT’S | HOW TO | NOT |
| ACCEPTED | PREPARE | ACCEPTABLE | |
| Bulk Trash Scrap Metal | Furniture, mattresses, bed frames, carpeting, large children’s toys. Disposal fee. Large metals items, bikes, appliances, storm doors, metal tools etc. Disposal fee. | Bring to site - be prepared to unload materials without attendant’s assistance. Bring to Bulk portion of Recycle Center, remove doors from refrigerators, drain gas & oil. | NO brush or stumps, NO construction materials, NO hazardous waste, NO paint, NO recyclable items, NO scrap metal accepted during the winter. |
A disposal fee is charged for all Bulk & Scrap Metal items. For a complete fee schedule call Public Works.
Naugatuck residents only dropping off residential materials only. NO contractors and NO construction material will be accepted.
A permit is required for use of this drop-off, bring car registration to Public Works Office to obtain a permit.
LEAVES: Leaves are collected curbside on resident’s regular trash day only during 3 weeks in the fall and 1 week in the spring. Leaves must be placed in 30-gallon paper lawn & leaf bags, available at local grocery and hardware stores. Call the Public Works Office for collection dates. Other materials which can be collected in paper bags along with leaves include grass clippings, garden trimmings, and hay.
CHRISTMAS TREES: One week of collection scheduled in early January. All decorations, tinsel, plastic bags etc. must be removed. Call Public Works Office for collection week or bring to Recycle Center.
HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE: Periodic one day drop-offs are held for residents of Naugatuck and eight surrounding towns. Each town takes a turn hosting three events per year with residents of all towns welcome to use any event. There is no extra fee for this service to residents of participating towns but proof of residency is required. Any waste in your home that is poisonous, flammable, or corrosive is considered hazardous waste.
Acceptable items include: drain, oven, floor, upholstery and toilet cleaners, bug and pest spray, stains, varnishes, paint thinner, fluorescent bulbs, mercury devices, automotive cleaners and fluids. Call Public Works Office for the date and location of the next hazardous waste collection day.
No latex paint is accepted, it is not considered hazardous. Let the paint dry and when dry any paint can be thrown out with the regular trash.
ELECTRONICS: Periodic one-day collections of computer hard drives, printers, monitors, televisions, and other electronic equipment. Materials are either refurbished and reused, resold as used or recycled in an environmentally friendly manner. It is not required by law to recycle electronic equipment but they do contain various hazardous components and many parts can be recycled. There is no additional charge for electronic recycling events, however, electronics disposed of at the Bulk Drop Off Center are charged a disposal fee. Call Public Works Office for the date and location of the next electronics collection event.
Many residents find themselves with items they can no longer use but are in working condition and still usable. Some common alternatives include tag sales, selling items at a consignment store, or donating the items to a local charity, church or school rummage sale.
Some charities will pick up at your home: Call St. Vincent DePaul Society at 754-3695, or the Salvation Army at 1-800-098-7825, they will pick up items at your home. Some charities require you to bring items to them: The Salvation Army, 755-1231, and Goodwill Retail Store, 596-1216 are both located in Waterbury and will accept many items if you provide the transportation.
GOODWILL ATTENDED DONATION CENTER: Goodwill Industries of Connecticut accepts gently used clothing, and small household goods at their donation trailer. All items must be in good or working condition. The trailer is located at the Naugatuck Train Station on Water Street, and is staffed by Goodwill personnel. The hours are Monday through Saturday 8 AM to 5 PM and Sunday 11 AM to 4 PM.
Acceptable items include: clothing and shoes, radios, small TV’s, small appliances (toasters, irons, etc.), toys, books, china, knick knacks, and linens. Tax receipts are available.
USED FURNITURE & APPLIANCE STORES: Look in the Yellow Pages of your phone book to find businesses that will accept or pick-up items at your home.
PLASTIC SHOPPING BAGS: Clean and empty plastic bags can be recycled at area stores, including Stop & Shop, Wal * Mart, and A & P - Waldbaums. Reuse extra plastic bags for many tasks or avoid excess bags by bringing your own reusable canvas bags to the store.
NICKEL CADMIUM BATTERIES: Rechargeable batteries made from Nickel-Cadmium are accepted at Radio Shack stores.
BOOKS: Donate to Church sales or Libraries, novels only, no encyclopedias or condensed books, call first. Sell at consignment stores (Paperback Exchange on Wolcott St. Waterbury) or tag sales.
USED EYE GLASSES: Lion’s Club collection box at Naugatuck Town Hall.
30% of the trash we throw out each year is “Yard Waste” this includes leaves, grass, garden clippings, brush, and kitchen scraps. If these materials are thrown out with trash it not only wastes what can be a valuable resource, it costs Naugatuck’s taxpayer dollars. Yard waste can easily be composted in the backyard to produce gardener’s “black gold”, this nutrient rich humus can be a valuable supplement to your lawn and garden.
Information on home composting, how to get started, and how to purchase a low cost compost bin can be obtained by calling the Public Works Office, 720-7071.
Household trash is collected by Borough Public Works crews and ultimately it is incinerated in Hartford. The “tip fee” or cost per ton to dispose of this trash costs Naugatuck taxpayers well over $650,000 each year. Residents can help reduce this figure by producing less trash, recycling more, reusing items rather than relying on disposable good, and shopping smart for items that can be reused or recycled.
Questions or Problems: Call the Public Works Office, 720-7071.
Collection Schedule: Household trash is collected weekly at all single family homes and multifamily homes with up to four units. The collection schedule remains the same for all holidays EXCEPT - trash is not collected on Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. Only on these holidays is the collection suspended for that day and all collections for the remainder of the week are one day late.
Curbside Set-out: Trash must be curbside by 7:00 AM when crews begin their routes, we will not return to homes where the trash was set out late.
Proper Containers: Trash can be set out in barrels up to 45 gallons in size or in plastic trash bags. Trash cannot be left in cardboard boxes and no containers can exceed 45 pounds.
Unacceptable Materials: Recyclables must not be mixed with trash unless they are contaminated by dirt, oil, or chemicals. No hazardous waste can be set out with trash. No liquids can be set out, including paint, stain, oil, cleaners, etc. Residents can dry excess paint then it can be thrown out with regular trash. NO sand, dirt, ash, stones, metal parts, etc. will be accepted.
Used Hypodermic Needles: Place in metal coffee can or heavy duty plastic container, seal securely with heavy tape, label as medical waste, and dispose of with household trash.
Collection During Snowstorms: Every attempt is made to continue with trash collection even during inclement weather. Place containers as close to the curb as possible, crews will not climb snow banks or dig out barrels for collection. During severe snow or blizzard conditions if trash is suspended it will be one day late throughout the remainder of the week.
Yard Waste: No leaves, pine needles, or grass clippings can be picked up with the trash. Small pieces of branches (less than two feet), or short hedge trimmings, can be put out for trash collection. Large branches can be brought to the Recycle Center.
ROAD MAINTENANCE
Residents can call the Public Works Office, 720-7071, to report repairs needed or to ask questions on road maintenance. The following items are the responsibility of our department:
Pot Holes: Please report pot holes giving the exact location, they will be filled as soon as possible.
Curbing: Requests for new curbing are reviewed on an individual basis The Borough is not able to provide curbing for all who request it. Legitimate reasons for new curbing include rain water eroding private property and road renovations to improve drainage.
Sidewalks: Residents are responsible for the maintenance of all sidewalks in front of their property. Naugatuck must maintain sidewalks in front of Borough property and the State of Connecticut’s D. O. T. maintains sidewalks on the state highways (Route 63 & 68).
Guard Rail: Replacement or installation of guardrails.
Street Brush Cutting: Report areas where brush needs to be cut back from the roadside in situations where visibility is affected.
Street Signs: Call with name of street needing a sign and location / intersection.
Storm Drains: Call to report storm drains blocked with dirt, leaves and other debris. Naugatuck residents can help maintain open drains by periodically raking leaves and other debris off the tops of storm drains. Storm drains empty directly into the Naugatuck River, never pour chemicals, cleaners, paints, motor oil, or antifreeze into drains.
Street Sweeping: Streets are swept every spring after the threat of snow has passed. Public Works crews do their best to sweep all streets in a timely fashion. However, with over 109 miles of road and only one sweeper the process takes time. Please be patient.
ROAD PAVING: Roads are paved using State of Connecticut grant money. Prep work prior to the paving can include milling the streets, (removing the top several layers of asphalt) repair or replacement of storm drains and manhole covers, and curb repair or removal. Your patience is appreciated during these projects. The Borough has a long term paving plan to assure that every road in town is in the best possible condition.
To report snowy / slippery road conditions residents can call the Public Work’s Office at 720-7071, Monday to Friday 8 AM to 3:30 PM. After those hours, during a winter storm, call the Public Works Garage directly at 7207070. If there is a winter storm emergency and no crews have been dispatched please call the Police Department at 729-5222.
Snow Plowing: Naugatuck’s hilly streets are plowed with a combination of Borough trucks and private contractors. Each section of town has a crew assigned to it, trucks are always dispatched to the hills and to the areas of town with higher elevations first, as it begins to snow.
Sanding: Call the phone numbers listed above for sand. Residents are able to fill small pails with sand for use at their homes from a separate sand pile located at outside the Recycle Center, corner of Andrew and Rubber Ave. Sand is for residential use only, contractors and private plow trucks are forbidden from taking sand for business purposes.
Winter Sidewalk Maintenance: Residents are responsible for shoveling all sidewalks in front of their property. Residents must clear their sidewalks within 6 hours after each snowstorm. Residents will be charged if Borough crews have to clear sidewalks in front of personal property. Naugatuck Park Department crews are only responsible for sidewalks adjacent to Borough property.
Snow Shoveling: Borough ordinance prohibits residents from shoveling or plowing snow into the street from their property.
Hazardous Street Trees: Residents can request a review of any hazardous trees that they believe belongs to the Borough and is creating a hazardous condition. The Engineering Department will dispatch a crew to determine if the tree is on Borough property. Naugatuck’s Tree Warden will determine if the tree must be trimmed or removed. The Borough will only remove or trim trees that are determined to be hazardous, dead, or obstructing vision for vehicular traffic. We are unable to honor all requests.
Traffic signs: All directional, stop, caution signs, etc. are installed and maintained by the Naugatuck Police Department, 729-5222.
Street Lights: Installation of new street lights can be addressed through the Mayor’s office, 720-7009. Residents should report broken lights directly to Northeast Utilities, giving the pole number if possible, and the location with nearest intersecting street.
Winter Parking Ban: The Naugatuck Police Department is responsible for posting and enforcing the winter parking ban on designated streets.
Street and Parking Line Painting: The Naugatuck Police Department is responsible for all line painting as well as handicap parking designation, and all other street painting.
Routine maintenance: The Water Pollution Control Department, 720-7060, is responsible for routine maintenance of sanitary sewers.
Emergency Sewer Problems: Veolia Water North America, the company that operates the Naugatuck Treatment Plant, is responsible for emergency maintenance of sanitary sewers for all pipes under the street. Residents are responsible for all pipes running under their own property and those running into their homes. Residents experiencing sanitary sewer problems, including odors in the home or pipe or drain back-ups can call Veolia at 723-1433 (if no answer call 410-8281). If unable to reach Veolia call the Naugatuck Police Department at 729-5222, and they will contact appropriate personnel.