Public works crews resuming street, sidewalk cleanup services in Oakland

Illegal dumping in Oakland.

The Oakland Public Works Department announced Thursday that it will resume street and sidewalk clean-up services to tackle the city's backlog of dumped items.

Public Works staffing has been diminished by as much as 70 percent in recent weeks due to the coronavirus pandemic but the department's staffing is back to its full capacity, according to city officials.  

While staffing was diminished, the department's number of 
outstanding illegal dumping work orders quadrupled from mid-March to late April. The department had 94 open work orders as of March 19 and 406 just over a month later on April 30.

Since then, the department's illegal dumping clean-up staff has 
pared down the backlog and set a one-day city record May 6 by completing 291 dumping work orders.

"Whatever the reason, OPW has recently seen an uptick in community and elected leaders reporting increased dumping problems in their neighborhoods, and OPW is responding," the department said in a statement. 

The department will also partner with Waste Management of Alameda County Inc. to increase illegal dumping clean-up services. Waste Management will add four trucks to its fleet as well as four drivers and eight sanitation workers to dispose of illegally dumped items Monday through Friday. 

Residents can report illegally dumped items by contacting the city 
at (510) 615-5566, 311.oaklandca.gov or OAK311@oaklandca.gov.