Windsor garbage crews struggle to keep pace with growing piles of flood debris

Windsor garbage crews are going full tilt picking up waterlogged items left at the curb following last week's flooding, but have barely made a dent as officials investigate using trucks from Detroit.

An average garbage truck can visit about 300 homes before it becomes full but the trucks visiting flood-ravaged Windsor neighbourhoods are filled after visiting just three homes, said Anne-Marie Albidone, Manager of Environmental Services.

"The progress is very slow. We did not get as far as we hoped over the weekend," said Albidone. "We have a lot of trucks out there but it's a very slow process."

The city has brought in extra trucks from various waste businesses and has redeployed trucks ordinarily designated for yard waste but it just isn't enough. There are about 15-20 trucks making the rounds now and ordinarily there are about eight.

Albidone estimated crews have only picked up about 20 per cent of the flood-damaged goods piling up on front lawns across the city, where more than 5,300 basements flooded, including more than 1,200 in Riverside alone.

"The areas that we've already collected in, if you were to go there, it almost looks like we've never touched it," she said. "We will be doing a second sweep in the city, that's guaranteed."

The public drop-off depot at Central Avenue continues to accept flood-damaged goods free of charge though "wait times vary throughout the day and can be significant at times."

The depot is open Monday to Saturday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Yard waste collection has been cancelled for the month of September.