Waterloo sanitation staff roll out Waterloo Wire app, flag litter and illegal dumping as top priorities

Sanitation officials for the City of Waterloo updated the council at a work session on their new Waterloo Wire app, enforcement steps to curb litter and illegal dumping, and a proposed $1 increase for the yard-waste recycling maintenance fee.

The update matters because sanitation service touches nearly every household in Waterloo: the department manages refuse, curbside recycling, yard waste and a city compost site, and officials said they are piloting new digital tools and enforcement to reduce contamination, spillage and missed pickups.

Randy Bennett, public works division manager, told the council the sanitation group employs 13 full-time workers and one administrative assistant and handles refuse collection, yard waste, cart maintenance, code enforcement of illegal dumps, neighborhood cleanups and twice-yearly household hazardous waste collections. "May 3 is gonna be the collection date for that," Bennett said, noting the hazardous-waste collection will be held in Waterloo.

Scott Brunson, sanitation director for the city, described Waterloo Wire, a web-and-app platform launched in January that lets residents enter an address to view an address-specific pickup calendar and receive targeted…