Sanitation Department

Everyone wants to live in a clean neighborhood.  Most would agree that Deer Park's Sanitation Division does an excellent job at helping the City look nice.  Whether it is picking up household debris, heavy trash or post-disaster cleanup, our crew works in a timely, professional manner and typically goes above and beyond what is expected of them. 

Most cities either offer monthly or quarterly heavy trash collection, but Deer Park picks up heavy trash weekly.  This is a huge service that the City provides for its citizens, and we take great pride in it.  

The Sanitation Division is responsible for the collection and disposal of all residential garbage and heavy trash collection throughout the city.  This division maintains the city’s transfer station and recycling center.  The division is under the supervisor of Tim Alexander and Assistant Supervisor, Paul Pena.  

Residential curbside collections takes place on a bi-weekly basis with heavy trash collection happening weekly.  The crew also maintains the city depository, which allows for residents of Deer Park to bring their own household trash and heavy trash on Saturdays to dump themselves.  This is a very popular amenity available to citizens.  

When you think of “essential workers” you may think of doctors, nurses, and other healthcare workers, but there was an invisible worker protecting the city during the pandemic.  The crew was in constant contact with trash bags and debris, many of which could have contaminated with COVID-19.  Think about it, when a household member had COVID, everyone did major deep cleaning by wiping down surfaces with disinfectant wipes, paper towels, etc.; the tissues used to wipe runny noses, block coughs and sneezes; the dirty, contaminated mask and gloves; all of which are disposed of and our sanitation crew has to handle. Therefore, they were at a much higher risk of COVID, and still are.  

There are also a lot of hazards that many people don't realize.  Police officers and firefighters face job related dangers every day, but it is not widely known that sanitation staff do as well.  Sometimes we forget how harsh the environment they work in can be. Not only do they work on the back of a truck whether it is 100 degrees, 20 degrees or raining, they also have to deal with broken glass, ants, sharp metal objects, and medical waste such as sharp needles that are disposed of illegally.  In fact, it ranks third on the list of riskiest jobs in the U.S.A. according to a study conducted by the University of Miami. The injury rate is staggering, according to the study.  Collectors, on average are injured five to seven times more than the average worker.  Most of those are back injuries and lacerations.