CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — Leaf season pickup returns to Chattanooga next Monday, Nov. 2, and city Public Works crews will roll out a broader anti-litter campaign at the same time.
High-capacity vacuum trucks will handle the leaves in two stages. From Nov. 2 into early December, crews will respond to individual pickup requests from residents. Starting in mid-December, they will shift to a planned four-zone sweep that covers the whole city, running until the season wraps up on April 2, 2027.
Residents can ask for a pickup by calling 311 or using the CHA311 app.
The city wants leaf piles kept separate, with no brush, bulk trash or bagged yard waste mixed in. Piles belong on the curb, out of traffic lanes and away from fire hydrants. Raking leaves into storm drains or catch basins can lead to flooded streets, so the city asks people to avoid it.
The litter work builds on goals Public Works Administrator Jerramy Wood laid out in June, aimed at cleaner neighborhoods, healthier waterways and public education. All city litter efforts will now fall under the Keep Chattanooga Beautiful name.
To keep trash out of local streams, the department plans to site and permit five litter booms in city watersheds and put 20 litter interceptors inside catch basins in business districts and neighborhoods.
Public Works is also buying four vacuum trucks and four crew trucks that will do nothing but pick up litter on neighborhood routes and answer litter requests made through 311.
Abandoned encampments will still be cleared in coordination with City Wide Services and the city’s Homeless Initiatives Division, and the city will continue community cleanups with nonprofits including Green Steps and Water Ways.
