Norwalkers will have garbage pickup delayed a day for major holidays

NORWALK, Conn. – Norwalk will be changing its holiday garbage pickup schedule in the wake of a Memorial Day fiasco.

Although the July 4 garbage pickup is happening as previously planned — those usually picked up on Thursday will be picked up on Saturday — come Labor Day things will begin to shift, Department of Public Works Director Hal Alvord said.

In weeks when there is a major holiday, everyone in the Fourth Taxing District will have their garbage pickup pushed back one day.

The city agreed in its new contract with City Carting to outsource garbage pickup that when there is a holiday, those customers who had their garbage picked up that day would instead have their garbage picked up the following Saturday. That proved to be a problem when many Spring Hill residents put their garbage out on the Tuesday after Memorial Day, as they had always done, and wound calling to complain when Thursday rolled around and the 92-degree weather had helped create quite a stench.

Many people complained that even if they kept the garbage away from the curb, it would present storage and stench problems

Alvord said the change did not occur this week as city officials did not feel they had enough time to educate Norwalk residents about the switch.

Alvord said there are only six holidays a year that require shifting schedules.