Dumping trash illegally in Fort Worth can cost you money, even up to a year in jail
Illegal dumping in Fort Worth can come with a costly penalty, and in some cases jail time.
The city of Fort Worth offers many garbage services to residents, from weekly bin pickup and recycling to bulk waste and yard trimming collection. If those don’t work, the city also has four drop-off stations around the area that are open Monday-Saturday.
It is illegal to put trash, garbage and waste where it doesn’t belong, whether or not the person dumping owns the property, according to the city. It’s also illegal for people to put trash in a dumpster that isn’t theirs.
If a resident is experiencing issues with illegal dumping on their property or know of the issue elsewhere, they have ways to report it.
How can I report illegal dumping to the city?
There are three ways for residents to report violations or concerns to the city, said Lola McCartney, city communications coordinator and public information officer.
When a resident contacts the city with a violation or concern they will be directed to the appropriate department/team:
- Call the Fort Worth call center at 817-392-1234.
- Visit the city’s website, specifically the code compliance page and click “Submit a Complaint”.
- Use the MyFW app for mobile devices.
What happens next after the incident is reported?
The city doesn’t have a “garbage police” to look at illegal dumping violations, but they do have an Environmental Investigation Unit, McCartney said.
This team looks into these kind of issues and keeps an eye out for illegal dumping in the city, mainly in public areas such as on the sides of roads, empty lots and along nature areas, McCartney said. The EIU also investigates residential areas.
Beyond the EIU team, the city’s code compliance officers are always out and about surveying and making sure residents trash and recycling bins are within compliance, McCartney said.
For residents looking to get involved in their community, they can join the city’s Code Rangers program, where people can report violations or issues to the city but keep their anonymity, McCartney said. This volunteer program is aimed at promoting healthy neighborhoods throughout the community and bridging the gap between residents and the code compliance department.
If a resident is witnessing repeat violations in their neighborhood, McCartney said, the person might think about joining the Code Rangers program and report these issues, since they are able to report violations anonymously.
What are the penalties for illegal dumping?
Illegal dumping in Texas falls under the Texas Litter Abatement Act. There are levels of violations that include both fines and in some cases, jail time:
- Class C misdemeanor — If the waste weighs five pounds or less or has a volume of five gallons or less. A maximum fine of $500.
- Class B misdemeanor — If the waste weighs five pounds or more, but is less than 500 pounds or has a volume of more than five gallons but less than 100 cubic feet. A maximum fine of $2,000 and or confinement in jail for a maximum of 180 days.
- Class A misdemeanor — If the waste weighs 500 pounds or more but less than 1,000 pounds or has a volume of 100 cubic feet or more but less than 200 cubic feet. A maximum fine of $4,000 and or confinement in jail for a maximum of one year.
Is this a big issue in Fort Worth?
Complaints of residents dumping their trash into another resident’s yard or trash bin are rare in Fort Worth, according to the city’s Environmental Investigation Unit.
It’s estimated that fewer than five cases per year are reported and in all of those cases the situation was corrected with resident education — explaining to residents that they should never use another person’s trash can or dumpster without explicit permission.
