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Public Works

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle!

The California Integrated Waste Management Act (AB939) requires that all Cities and Counties in California reduce the amount of waste they send to landfills by 50%, or face fines of up to $10,000 per day.

The City of Porterville has developed various programs to encourage recycling and waste reduction and to help the City meet its AB939 goals, including:

Curbside Collection of Residential Recyclables -

Blue Can - Recyclables

Please be advised, it is unlawful for anyone other than the City to collect or remove materials which have been segregated for the purpose of recycling (Sec. 13-4 of the Municipal Code). Any citizen observing this unlawful act should contact the Police Department at 782-7400.

Green Can - Yard waste

Recycling Drop-Off Center
The City's Recycling Drop-Off Center is available 24 hours per day and is centrally located at the City Corporation Yard, 555 N. Prospect. This facility accepts the same materials as the curbside recycling program.

Meeting California’s 50% waste reduction goal is important to us all.  The City encourages its residents to practice the three R’s every day.

Reduce the waste you make.  Buy products with less packaging and eliminate the use of single-use “convenience” items.

Reuse whatever you can.  Grocery bags, cardboard boxes, and water bottles are common items that can be used again and again.  Yard sales and thrift store donations are a good way to pass along usable items you no longer want.

Recycle, recycle, recycle.  The City’s curbside Blue Can recycling program offers residents a convenient way to recycle at their homes.  Common household recyclables including plastics (#1-7), glass, aluminum, newspaper, mixed paper, cardboard, and steel/tin cans may be placed together in your Blue Can for easy recycling.

In addition to curbside recycling, residents can take advantage of other recycling opportunities throughout Porterville.

Just moved in?  Hosted a family gathering?  Receiving shipments?  These activities often create more recyclables than your Blue Can will hold.  To accommodate large volume or bulky recyclables, the City’s Recycling Drop-Off Center is available 24 hours per day and is centrally located at the Corporation Yard, 555 N. Prospect.  This facility accepts the same materials as the curbside recycling program. 

Numerous certified CRV redemption centers are operated by private businesses to assist city residents in “cashing in” their bottles and cans.  For a complete listing, contact the California Department of Conservation at 1-800-RECYCLE or www.bottlesandcans.com.

RECYCLING SPECIAL WASTES:  Many common household items are considered hazardous and it is illegal to dispose of them in your refuse container.

Household Hazardous Wastes include poisons, solvents, garden chemicals, paints, aerosol cans, pool chemicals, gasoline, used motor oil and filters, household caustics, car batteries, and automotive fluids.

Electronic Wastes including television sets, computers, monitors, printers, fax machines, cellular phones, radios, VCR/DVD players, and microwave ovens.

Universal Wastes including rechargeable and non-rechargeable household batteries (AA, AAA, 9V, C, D), fluorescent tubes or lamps, mercury thermometers and thermostats and more.

Special Waste Collection Events are held in the Porterville area throughout the year.  For more information on these events, contact Tulare County Environmental Health @ 733-6441.

Water Conservation

The City of Porterville water system is municipally-owned with more than 14,800 service connections, 99% of which are metered, serving a population of over 51,500, with approximately 1,100 service connections outside the city limits.  Water supplies for the City system are produced entirely from groundwater underlying the City, which is recharged from rainfall and runoff of the Western Sierra Nevada. The major stream contributing to recharge of the Tule Basin Aquifer underlying Porterville is the Tule River.

Storage capacity represents over six million gallons within the distribution system and three hillside reservoirs, two with a capacity of three-million gallons and one with a capacity of three hundred thousand gallons.

A telemetry system controls the operation of 22 of the City's 35 active well pumps to maintain system pressure under varying loads.  The water levels in the reservoirs are also monitored and controlled by the computerized telemetry control system.

Water conservation and awareness have always been areas of concern for the Porterville community.  Less than normal rainfall and runoff makes efforts to promote water conservation a high priority.  In addition to the benefits of conserving water as a limited natural resource, additional benefits accrue to the community in the form of a reduced impact on the Wastewater Treatment Plant and a reduction in energy costs when water supplies are conserved.  

It is vitally important that the Water Conservation Plan be a joint partnership between the City and the General Public in order to achieve optimal effect.  The Plan has been developed in three phases with each phase defined in terms of the available water supply:

  • Phase I :  Applies during periods when a normal water supply is available.
  • Phase II:  Applies during periods when there is a water supply shortage.
  • Phase III: Applies during periods when there is a severe water supply shortage.

Actions within each phase have been defined as either actions to be undertaken by the City or by the General Public.  Due to the number of variables which affect the water conditions in existence at any one point in time, a City staff analysis of those variables will be utilized in determining the transition of the City from one phase to a more (or less) stringent phase.  At such time as staff determines that water supply conditions warrant a phase change, staff will present the request to the City Council for their approval.  

This plan differs from other valley community plans because the City of Porterville is in a more favorable position of having almost all of its water customers metered, which allows the City to basically control the water conservation program. 

CURRENT WATER CONSERVATION LEVEL - PHASE I

ODD/EVEN WATERING
The City of Porterville would like to thank all of it's water customer for their past practices and efforts to conserve our water supply. We still encourage customers to participate in the voluntary Odd/Even watering schedule, as shown below.
 

This plan request you to water your lawn and shrubs according to your street address. If your address ends with an "odd" number, 1,3,5,7 or 9, your watering days are Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. If your address ends with an "even" number, 0,2,4,6 or 8, your watering days are Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. There is "NO" watering on Mondays and landscape watering should be reduced to a minimum. This program also encourages customers to turn off sprinklers on rainy days.

Should you have any questions or would like additional information, please contact the Field Services Division at 782-7514.

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