Careful Where You Blow Your Leaves Dunwoody

Homeowners or landscape companies that blow leaves into Dunwoody’s ditches and storm systems face a ticket for violating city and state laws.

The City of Dunwoody Public Works Department says that because leaves are a good source of mulch, the best thing to do is to rake or blow the leaves into natural areas. This will keep the ground moist which is good for growing plants and shrubs, as well as preventing erosion of the soil. Bare soil is very susceptible to erosion by water so the more it is kept covered, the less erosion will take place. Keeping the ground covered with leaves will also prevent weed growth as the weeds will not have soil to root into.

Ideally, leaves should be used on the property where they fall in order to return nutrients to the ground through composting.

DeKalb County Sanitation will pick up bagged leaves as long as they are in biodegradable bags and each bag weighs less than 50 pounds. Dekalb County will recycle these leaves to create mulch and compost that is available to the public at no cost.

Leaves should never be disposed of by being blown into the street. Not only can this be an eyesore for the neighborhood, it can also wreak havoc on the city’s storm drains. Once in the street, leaves will eventually be washed into the storm drain system where they can cause clogging and even flooding of the system.

Blowing leaves into the storm system is a violation of both city and state ordinances. Please do your part to help protect our city’s assets by reporting these violations. Once reported, the Code Enforcement Officers for the city will cite those responsible and have them make the necessary corrections.

The city’s website says: “Dunwoody needs every citizen help to protect our storm system and streams by keeping the leaves out. Preventing leaves from being put into the storm system and disposing of your leaves properly will both be critical steps in preserving the system and maintaining water quality for the future.”

To report leaf violations, call the Code Enforcement Department at 678-382-6807.