Sandy bulk-waste crews start shifts at 6:30 a.m.; residents told to keep piles 2 feet from curb to protect Jordan River

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…