With help from the San Marcos public works department, residents were able to grab sandbags to prepare for the recent tropical storm in Southern California. Now that the storm has passed, the city encourages the community to follow one or more of the steps below regarding what to do next with the sandbags.
Residents can return sandbags to the public works yard at 201 Mata Way up until Friday, Sept. 8.
With the fall season approaching quickly, the city may experience more rain. Consider keeping and storing the sandbags to prepare for the next rainfall. Residents can store filled sandbags or empty out the sand and place the bags in a shaded covered area.
Check to see if your sandbags are free of foul water, chemicals or petroleum products. If your sandbags are not contaminated, residents can rake the sand into existing soil to preserve plants, spread the sand into planters or use it as soil amendment.
If you are choosing to throw away empty sandbags, you can properly dispose of them in the trash; empty sandbags are not recyclable.
If the sand or sandbags are unable to be reused, you can drop them off at your local landfill. Make sure the sandbags are emptied before placing them in trash bins or dumpsters because disposal companies cannot collect heavy filled sandbags.
If you believe your sandbags are contaminated (via sewage, petroleum products or chemicals), be sure to wear protective gloves and eyewear when handling the sandbags. Contaminated sandbags can be dropped off at specific landfills or with a hazardous waste contractor. Please notify the specific landfill of your contaminated sandbags when dropping them off, as paperwork and extra handling need to be completed.
We thank the San Marcos community for preparing for the tropical storm and encourage you to visit the emergency preparedness webpage to get more preparedness information. Residents can also visit www.AlertSanDiego.org and download the SD Emergency app for other preparedness tips.
For more information, please contact the city’s public works department by phone at (760) 752-7550.
