Bulk/Large items such as appliances, furniture, and other large items may be placed at the curb by 7 a.m. on the regular trash collection day for pick-up. The Public Works Department will place a hangtag on the owner's door which states the amount of the fee to be paid for the bulk/large item collection, if it will exceed five (5) pickup truck loads. Please bring the hang tag and cash or a check for payment of the fee to the Vinton Treasurer's (Finance) Office. The Vinton Treasurer's Office will notify Public Works when the fee has been paid, so that the items can be collected. Bulk/Large items may also be taken to the Roanoke Valley Resource Authority (R.V.R.A.) Transfer Station by Vinton Residents (no more than one pickup load of items is allowed per resident, per week).

For more information, please call 540-983-0646.

1. Car Parts: Parts may be taken to various scrap metal yards in the area.



2. Hazardous Materials (including, but not limited to the following items):
• Household Products: asphalt and/or roofing tar, batteries, bleach, disinfectants, drain cleaner, floor cleaner/wax, furniture polish, ink, metal polish, nail polish, oven cleaner, paint thinner and/ or paint, septic tank cleaner, silver cleaner and/or polish, spot remover, toilet bowl cleaner, waterproofer, window cleaner, wood preservatives, wood putty, wood stains/varnish, wood stripers.
• Automotive Products: antifreeze, auto batteries, car waxes/polish, degreaser, radiator flush/cleaner, motor oil, gasoline, rust preventer/remover. Many of these items are accepted for recycling at no charge at local automotive parts stores.
• Pest and Weed Control Products: herbicides, flea powder, mothballs, pesticides, rodenticides.

The Roanoke Valley Resource Authority (R.V.R.A.) has prepared a brochure and a booklet which provide guidance and assistance as to how and where to properly dispose of or recycle household hazardous and also non-hazardous waste materials. They also provide some safer alternatives to hazardous products used around the house.

• To view a copy of the R.V.R.A. brochure in CLICK HERE.


• To view a copy of the R.V.R.A. booklet in CLICK HERE.

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•   Click Here to download the 2008 Recycling Calendar in PDF.*

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• How could a sewer backup affect me?
  An overflow in a wastewater line generally results from a stoppage in the line, which causes the wastewater to backup into nearby pipes and drains. Stoppages can occur not only in the main sewer lines outside your home, but also within your home or office plumbing system.
  
  If the backup occurs in a Town maintained line, the wastewater will normally overflow out of the lowest possible opening, which is usually a manhole. However, in some homes, especially those with basements or where the lowest level is even with the sewer lines, the overflowing wastewater may exit through lower drains and toilets.


• What causes sewage backups?
  In home and office plumbing systems, the main cause is accumulation of grease, hair, and other solid materials. Also, many items which are too large for wastewater pipes to handle (such as disposable diapers and sanitary napkins) are often flushed down toilets. All of these items can cause major backups in the Town’s lines as well.

  The greatest cause of wastewater stoppages within the Town’s systems; however, is vandalism. Leaves, sticks, rocks, bricks, and trash have been found stuffed down manholes.

• What can I do to help?
  Call the Public Works Department immediately if you notice any cases of vandalism to sewer lines or manholes. This way, the debris can be removed before it causes a backup.

  Avoid putting grease down your garbage disposal or any household drain. Not only could it accumulate in Town lines, it could also build up in your own system and might eventually require the services of a plumber.

  Never put disposable diapers or sanitary napkins down the toilet. These were not meant to be disposed of in this manner and besides stopping up lines, could damage your plumbing system.

• Is there anything I can do to reduce the possibility of sewage backups in my home?
  If the lowest level of your home or office is above ground level, chances are slim that you will ever have a problem with overflows from the Town’s wastewater lines. However, if the lowest level is below ground level, there is a slightly higher possibility that you may one day be affected by a backup.

  Normally, if a stoppage occurs in your neighborhood’s main wastewater line, only the lowest level drains and toilets will be affected. A common point is floor drains located in basement areas.

  One way to prevent sewage from backing up through these sources is to install a back flow valve on the lowest drain. For floor drains, a plumber’s test plug can be used to close the drain when not in use. For further information on these items, contact a plumber or your local plumbing supply dealer.

• What should I do if sewage backs up into my home?
  Keeping in mind that ceramic plumbing fixtures such as toilets are fragile, quickly close all drain openings with stoppers or plugs. Tub, sink, and floor drains may need additional weight to keep them sealed. A string mop can be use to help plug toilets.
  
  If you suspect the stoppage is in your home plumbing system, don’t run any water down your drains until you or a plumber have cleared the cause of the backup.
  
  If the backup appears to be in your neighborhood’s main wastewater line, call the Public Works Department immediately at the numbers listed below.
  
  A quick check with several nearby neighbors will help you determine if the blockage is widespread or if it is limited just to your home.



• What does the Town of Vinton do to prevent sewage backups?
  The Town of Vinton makes every attempt to prevent backups in the public wastewater system before they occur. Sewer lines are specially designed to prevent accumulation and stoppages.

  Backups are often beyond the Town’s control. Fortunately, they don’t happen often. Very few are reported each year, and most are confined to the sewage pipeline. Only on rare occasions has the wastewater actually backed up into a home.

• Will my insurance cover any damages resulting from sewage backups?
  In the majority of cases, a special rider on your homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policy is needed to cover damages related to sewage backups or water damage. This optional coverage is generally not expensive and typically costs from $1.00 to $4.00 per month. However, you must usually request it, as it is not automatically included in most policies. Customers who may be vulnerable to backups, such as those with lower levels below the ground, are especially advised to investigate this option.

  Like the majority of municipalities around the country, the Town of Vinton cannot assume financial liability for damages resulting from sewage backups, since most stoppages are related to conditions that are beyond the Town’s control. This is why it is important to verify that you are adequately insured!

• Who should I call to report a sewage backup?
  If the blockage is in your home's sewer line, call the plumber of your choice immediately to help you clear it. If the backup appears to be in the Town's main sewer line, call the Public Works Department immediately. Crews from the Town of Vinton are on call 24 hours a day to assist you in the event of a blockage in the Town’s wastewater lines.

  In an emergency, such as a wastewater line backup, contact the Public Works Department at:
  
  540-983-0646 Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
  
  --OR call 540-983-0617 after hours, weekends, and on holidays only.

Each spring during the clean-up week scheduled by Public Works, residents will receive one free pick-up of all acceptable items. Clean-up week will be listed in this web site's Special Events, advertised in local newspapers, and announced on Cable TV Channel 3. For more information, please call 540-983-0646.

TIRE DISPOSAL
Passenger vehicle tires will be collected from households once each quarter. The maximum number of tires collected per household is FOUR (4) per year. Commercial or dealer tires collection is not performed by the Town. Quarterly collection days will be published on the Town's web site, in The Vinton Messenger, and on Cable Access Channel 3. The Roanoke Valley Resource Authority (R.V.R.A.) Transfer Station will accept up to FOUR (4) tires per year from Town Residents at no charge (additional tires will incur a charge of $2.00 each). The R.V.R.A. also sponsors a Tire Amnesty Day, during which tires are collected free of charge at sites throughout the Valley. For more information on the Tire Amnesty Day, please call the R.V.R.A. at 540-857-5050.

2008 Tire Collection Dates for Vinton Public Works:
February 20th and 21st (Wednesday and Thursday)
May 12th and 13th (Monday and Tuesday)
August 18th and 19th (Monday and Tuesday)
November 12th and 13th (Wednesday and Thursday)

For more information, please call 540-983-0646.

• REQUIRED TRASH CONTAINERS:
  Vinton Town Code, Section 78-2. Containers generally. (a) It shall be the duty of every owner, lessee or occupant of every residence and every building or place of business in the Town to provide, at all times, suitable and sufficient sanitary refuse containers which shall be leak proof with tight fitting tops and handles, and in conjunction with such containers, other containers, such as plastic bags, of adequate strength to hold and retain all garbage and liquid substances, and whatever rubbish may be mixed therewith, from such building, residence or place of business.
• STORAGE OF REQUIRED TRASH CONTAINERS:
  Vinton Town Code, Section 78-3. Location of containers. (a) The refuse containers referred to in Section 78-2 shall be kept upon the premises at a location to the side or rear of a dwelling house or place of business satisfactory to the Town Manager. During the hours and days designated by the Town Manager for the collection of refuse, each resident and business proprietor shall place their refuse containers on their street side property line or at the curb for pickup. If subject dwelling house or place of business has an alley directly behind the property, then in such event, refuse containers shall be maintained thereon for ready pickup by sanitary workers.

For questions regarding your regular trash pick-up day or pick-up location, please call Public Works at 540-983-0646.

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• Grass clippings must be bagged in heavy grade plastic trash bags and placed at the curb by 7 a.m. for pickup on the regular trash collection day.



• A Fall leaf collection, with the Town divided into various collection zones, is scheduled during November and December each year. The schedule is advertised in local papers and announced on cable TV government access, Channel 3. During the special leaf collection period, leaves must be raked to the proper pick-up location by 7 a.m. on the regular trash collection day.