Who do I call about... 

Trash & Recycling Services

• How do I sign up for trash and recycling collection? Call the Utilities Services Office at (703) 228-6570, Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. to set up a new utilities account for water, sewer and trash/recycling collection services. These services are billed together for residents in Arlington County. There is a $25 water turn-on fee for new accounts which is reflected on the first bill. If you are renting a house in Arlington County and wish to have the account in your name, please have the owner's name, telephone number, and mailing address ready when you call to set up the account. Trash/Recycling Collection Rates and Account Set-Up Information >>
• Why do I have to pay the same amount for services as a family of four? The household Solid Waste rate is a fixed fee for basic refuse and recycling service for single and duplex family homes. This rate includes the total costs associated with curbside collection and disposal of residential trash and recycling. For more information, call Customer Service at (703) 228-6570.
• When paying for utilities at the bank, why does it take 10-12 days to show up on my account? Banks that accept utility payments do not always transfer the money to the Arlington County Treasurer on the same day the customer made the payment. Once the payment reaches the Treasurer, then the payment is sent to the Treasurer's Office for processing. For more information, call Customer Service at (703) 228-6570. Manage Your Utilities Account Online >>
• Where does the County's trash and recycling go? Trash from residents goes to the Waste to Energy Plant (PDF). Recyclables from residents go to a recycling facility in Burke, VA. Watch a Video about Where Recyclables Go >>
• How do I recycle at the curb?
• How do I get a recycling cart? All residential households who sign up for curbside services will receive a new blue recycling cart.
• How do I get my cart replaced or repaired? You can request a request a cart repair online, or you can call Customer Service at (703) 228-6570.
• What do I do with my old yellow recycling bin? Once you have received a new blue recycling cart, we encourage you to keep your yellow bins and make them a  part of your in-home recycling system, donate them to a local school, or use it to set out your electronic items for pick-up. The County will not collect the yellow bins, however you can drop them off at the Solid Waste Bureau located at 4300 29th St. S.
• Why can't I have a new cart if I just moved to a new address? All carts are assigned to an address, so you should have a cart at your house when you move in. Carts are not to be taken when a resident moves. It is recommended that the carts be cleaned and sanitized semi-annually using hot soapy water, ammonia or bleach.
• What do I do if my trash or recycling pickup was missed? Report a missed trash pickup or report a miissed recycling pickup online, or call Customer Service at (703) 228-6570.
• What can I recycle?
• Why can't I recycle some plastics even though they have a recycling symbol? Although styrofoam, clamshell containers, and disposable plastic cups and food trays have a recycling symbol, we cannot accept them. Currently those items are not acceptable at our Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) because they are made up of several types of plastics.
• What do I do with brush? 
• How do I recycle electronics? 
• How do I recycle scrap metal?
• Why do we have to pay for curbside collection of select small appliances? Fees are charged for items that potentially require special handling, which are most commonly appliances.
• How do I recycle my Christmas tree?
• Where are the recycling drop-off centers? The County currently operates two recycling drop-off centers, one at Columbia Pike and S. Four Mile Run Drive and at Quincy Park (at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Quincy Street). The centers have large containers with marked openings for the deposit of recyclables. It is important to recycle only those materials specifically listed on the containers and to place them in the appropriate bin. 
• Does the County sell compost bins? How do I start composting?

How do I dispose of Household Hazardous Materials (HHM)?

Sewer Backups

• Sewage is backing up into my basement, who should I call or what should I do? We recommend you first contact the 24-hour hotline at (703) 228-6555. We will flush the public sanitary sewer you are connected to at no charge. This will help determine where the blockage is. If the blockage is in your house lateral we will advise that you call a plumber.
• What can I do to prevent sewer backups? Be careful what you put down the drain. Several items that should not be put into your sewer system are fats, grease, paper towels, diapers or any item that will not dissolve. Find out more about disposing fats, oils and grease, and why you should keep them out of your pipes. Tips for Maintaining your Garbage Disposal >>

Drinking Water

• Where does Arlington's drinking water come from? The water that comes out of Arlington County’s taps originates in the Potomac River. There is an intake pipe near Great Falls on the Maryland side of the river that pulls the water from the river. It is then piped to a treatment facility, Dalecarlia, in Washington, DC where it is cleaned and stored. The cleaned water is then piped under Chain Bridge to Arlington residents.
• Where can I find information about Arlington's water quality?

Stormwater

• Where should I wash my car? The best place to wash your car is a commercial car wash. All of the soapy water that goes on the ground is caught in a drain and piped to the Water Pollution Control Plant for treatment. If you cannot go to a car wash, try to wash your car in a grassy area so the soapy water can drain into the ground and use very mild dish detergent or biodegradable soap.
• How much fertilizer should I put on my lawn? The best place to get information on lawn care and maintenance is from the Virginia Cooperative Extension at (703) 228-6414. 
• Why should I pick up after my dog? The waste from the many dogs in Arlington cannot be adequately or naturally absorbed into the environment. Large, unnatural numbers of any animal can cause this problem. Bacteria in dog waste can cause serious illnesses in humans, including cholera and dysentery. Dog waste also has a large amount of nutrients similar to fertilizers. When large amounts of nutrients get into a stream or the Chesapeake Bay, they cause a huge growth of algae. When the algae decomposes it uses up oxygen in the water, suffocating and killing fish and other critters that live in the water.
• What are the guidelines for drainage between my neighbor's and my house? Occasionally homeowners have questions about drainage issues between properties. Minor changes in drainage patterns such as modifying the discharge from a downspout, installing a raised planter, planting or removing vegetation, or contouring land areas less than 2,500 square feet do not usually require a plan or building permit. Arlington County's General Drainage Guidelines for Homeowners >>

Wastewater Treatment

• What happens to the dirty water that goes down the sink and toilet in my house? The wastewater generated by Arlington residents is piped to the Water Pollution Control Plant on Glebe Road. There it is cleaned and processed before it is released into Four Mile Run. The biosolids removed from the water are then trucked to farms in rural Virginia to use as fertilizer or deposited in a landfill. 
• How much water is treated by the Water Pollution Control Plant? The treatment plant handles approximately 29 million gallons of raw wastewater each day. During wet weather, the flow is higher due to groundwater that leaks into the collection system of sewer pipes and manholes. In dry weather, the flow is slightly less.
• What is the collection area served by the Water Pollution Control Plant? Nearly all of the water that flows to the treatment plant comes from Arlington County. A small area near Baileys Crossroads and Seven Corners is also a part of our collection system. That water is metered and the County is paid a fee by Fairfax County and the City of Alexandria for their portions of the flows. A small portion of the wastewater from the far northern end of the county is pumped into a collection system that flows under Chain Bridge into the District and is treated at the Blue Plains Treatment Plant in Washington, DC.
• Is the rainwater and melted snow in the storm drain system treated at the plant before it reaches the stream? The storm drain system in Arlington County is completely separate from the sanitary sewer system. Rainwater and melted snow flow directly to the nearest stream without any treatment. For this reason, it is extremely important that trash, oil, chemicals, and other pollutants should be kept out of the storm drains. In fact, it is illegal to dump hazardous materials on the ground or down storm sewers. Please call (703) 558-2222 to report violations.
• What is the large round building at the treatment plant near the intersection of S. Glebe Road and S. Fern Street? An equalization tank was built and put in service in 2000. The tank can hold 4.9 million gallons of wastewater. The volume of flows to the plant peaks each morning around 9:30 a.m. at approximately 60% more than the average daily flow. At 3:30 a.m. the flow slows to less than half of the average daily flow. This large daily fluctuation creates a higher demand for energy and chemicals and complicates the control of the treatment process. The equalization tank begins to fill in the morning as flows increase. At night, the tank begins to empty into the plant influent as flows decrease. The daily fluctuation of the flow to the plant is minimized which helps to save energy and chemicals and makes process control a little easier.

Do I need a permit to remove a tree from my private property?

Does Arlington County have a program to spray for gypsy moths? Arlington County does periodically spray for gypsy moths, but generally during the spring months, based on the gypsy moth life cycle. For more information about gypsy moths, or to volunteer to count and destroy gypsy moths with burlap banding, call (703) 228-7744.