As of a re-organization with the budget that started on 7/1/12, several people from the City read the issues on this site every day (including myself, the Chief Administrative Officer). Refuse trucks are designed to be hosed clean inside, and empty out through a opening at their base. The seal for that hole can break. If there is a large amount of liquid, the staff should notice, but sometimes do not. If you post a day and specific location when a refuse truck leaks, we should be able to fix the problem immediately if it is from a City truck, and hopefully will be able to track down the offending company if it is a private hauler.

Please do something about this. I currently have red and green paint and concrete liquid permanently staining the road in front of my house. Why plant flowers, pull weeds etc, when the garbage truck comes along and squishes its load in front of my house weekly. Please fix this isse ASAP if it so easily identifiable. Thank you Mr. Smuts.

Rob - Thanks for your reply. The refuse trucks often leave behing liquids mixed with, for example, egg shells and other identifiable food, Q-tips and other hygiene products, etc. One day there was a clump of hair mixed with paint or makeup in front of my house. So, many times it is more than liquid that leaks - and smells. A former neighbor who rode his bicycle to work every day repeatedly reported the problem to the City. He moved away more than 8 years ago. Maybe it is only a problem in the Chatham Square area. It would seem that seal maintenance should be routine and not dependent on citizens having to report the exact debris left behind and and which refuse trucks leaks. Is it possible to have the truck seals checked before the trucks leave every morning? Thanks again.

Seal maintenance should be routine, but the issue happens and feedback is important to let us know that either the maintenance isn't happening like it should or the seals are giving way despite it. Again, please let us know if you can connect it to a specific refuse truck - there are many, many private refuse trucks that pick up trash in New Haven too, so we need enough information to track down the culprit whether it is one of our trucks or one of the private vehicles.

Thanks again for your reply. When it happens it is on a Thurs. when the City trash pickup has already happened in the Downing St., Chatham St. Grafton St. area. I see and smell it on my way to work and I leave between 7:00-7:30 am. daily but I only see it on Thurs. My former neighbor followed the City trash truck and saw it while on his bicycle as well as reported it. We have no commercial properties in this area and I have never seen a commercial refuse truck in the area. Can't you just check the truck that picks up on these streets? Thanks.

Yes, Thursday mornings on Front Street also. I can confirm it is not a commercial truck. New Haven pick up. I have watched the squish occur in front of my house by city trucks almost every week! Can the city power wash the various colors of paint and concrete off the road?

Unfortunately, due to oncoming cars, I was forced to drive through some extra gross and crunchy stuff this morning on Chatham between Clinton and Maltby. If refuse truck seals are causing the problem, nothing has been done to fix it. What a way to start the day especially knowing that this is a chronic problem and it will likely occur again if not in that exact spot, somewhere else near Chatham Square. Please tell me how these chronic issues (garbage leaks, dirt bike racing, speeding & intoxicated drivers, etc.) don't impact the quality of life in this area.

Truck 99 on Front street this morning. Came down Pine St. took a right onto Front Street and liquid was leaking as they compacted the waste.

I cycle down Lombard/Humphreys to State St every morning and yes, the garbage trucks leak all kinds of gunk and it SMELLS. It is quite unpleasant to have to cycle down a road with all this smelly drainage in the middle.

March 31, 2013 - Still an issue in Chatham Square. Sad to say, even Morris Cove has the same issue. Was taking a business associate to Tweed early one morning and followed the truck making the mess. it was really a statement about how unwelcoming New Haven can be. Who really cares about quality of life issues in the neighborhoods? This is a solvable problem according ot Mr. Smuts. I guess the will to solve it is missing though.

May 25, 2013 - still an issue!!

This is a photo of the liquid and debris left on Downing Street on June 13, 2013 by our refuse truck. The liquid trail went all the way into the next block. Clearly this is still an environmental, health and sanitation issue. It amazes me that Mr. Smuts knows how to fix the problem (see 2012-9-28 response from Mr. Smuts) and yet we are almost three years since the initial SeeClickFix posting and nothing has changed. Isn't this the type of problem that SeeClickFix and the City are supposed to help with?

THIS IS STILL AN ISSUE AS OF SEPTEMBER 21, 2013!!!!!!!!!!!

This issue was recategorized from Uncategorized to Public Space, Streets and Drains.

Just saw debris today on Chatham between Maltby and Clinton.

Still leaking - see stains on Downing Street.

The first report about this issue was on March 23, 2010. It is still ongoing as of December 15, 2014. On February 2, 2014, a City official commented on this site that the issue was recategorized from "Uncategorized" to "Public Space, Streets and Drains." After more than 4.5 years and a "recategorization," it seems safe to assume that either See-Click-Fix is not the appropriate reporting mechanism or that the City cannot/will not remedy this health and quality of life issue.

November 9, 2017: Happened again today on Downing Street.

This is a chronic issue and happened as recently as 11/09/2017. This pic was taken at 11:58 am.

Still not resolved! Drove through debris on Chatham Street again last week.

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