Business owners in Bridgeville may soon have to put their Dumpsters on a leash to prevent the trash bins from washing away and clogging up McLaughlin Creek during floods.
Last week, borough council voted unanimously in support of an amendment requiring Dumpsters in Bridgeville’s flood plains be tethered to a solid structure.
“This is basically so that if there’s a flood event, we don’t have 30 Dumpsters in our creek,” said Mike Tolmer, council president.
In Bridgeville, Dumpsters that wash into the creek often get lodged under bridges, creating chokepoints that block waterflow, ensnare even more debris, and generally makes bad floods worse.
Although Bridgeville’s borough code already requires trash receptacles to be secured to prevent windblown trash, the new amendment would clarify those requirements in flood zones specifically.
The borough will advertise the amendment, as required by law, and likely take a final vote sometime in the next few months.