New Philadelphia, Ohio (WJER) - City council members say they’re passing a springtime ordinance now, ahead of yard work season. 

New Philadelphia council member Kelly Ricklic says they agreed to restrict residents from placing grass clippings (into the curb strip) where they could be washed into the city’s wastewater system… (polluting it.)

“What we’re trying to do by the recommendations of the Ohio EPA is make it illegal to put your grass clippings into the curb area so when it rains they wash down into the catch basins and go into all the waterways and pollute those,” he explains.

Ricklic says homeowners will be given warnings initially before they start receiving fines for placing clippings too close to the road….(he says the EPA is recommending these changes to prevent runoff from causing algae to form in nearby waterways.)

“The wastewater department will go out, explain to the homeowner that this is not permitted. They need to catch their grass clippings, bag them or mulch them up, to not let them go into the curbs to wash down the waterways,” he says. “That does pollute the rivers and waterways with algae.” 

Ricklic recommends mowing away from the road, not into it. He also says residents should bag their clippings when they mow and consider using a compost or other disposal service. 

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