FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — Fairfax County officials said the Department of Public Works and Environmental Services is currently behind on leaf collection service. The department says staffing shortages and equipment problems are to blame for the slowdown.
The county provides service to roughly 25,000 customers as part of the Sanitary District Program. Immediate initial steps to improve service include beginning work in areas 1 and 2 on Monday, December 19, as opposed to focusing on one area at a time, Public Works said. There will be multiple trucks for each vacuum unit to take leaves from neighborhoods to county disposal sites. By dividing resources, it will take additional time to complete each area.
Vacuum collection staff have been working 10-hour shifts and most Saturdays and will continue to do so, according to Fairfax officials. The county has also brought on an additional contractor to assist with the work being done by DPWES staff.
The Department of Public Works said there is not a mechanism in place to refund vacuum leaf taxes. Residents have the option to petition the Board to "de-create" their vacuum leaf district, removing themselves from County services in the future.
A full schedule of leaf collection dates can be found here.
