In unincorporated Polk County, letting litter, garbage, or organic waste accumulate on your property is a health nuisance. Storage in authorized receptacles subject to regular pickup and legal disposal is allowed.
Health Nuisance Regulation 2-5(f) makes "the deposit or storage of litter, garbage or organic waste on any real estate" an abatable nuisance, but expressly does not prohibit temporary storage in authorized private or public receptacles subject to regular pickup and legal disposal. The definition of a "Dangerous" building (2-2(b)) includes premises "where garbage has been allowed to accumulate outside approved containers." Curbside carts and bin placement are set by your hauler and Metro Waste Authority, not the county nuisance code.
Accumulated garbage outside approved containers is a nuisance subject to the county's abatement process (30-day letter, 21-day notice, then county abatement with costs assessed to the property as a tax).
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
polk-county-ia
Polk County allows backyard composting but regulates it through the Health Nuisance Regulation: a compost pile that harbors vermin, produces offensive odors,...
polk-county-ia
Polk County has no ordinance for or against artificial turf on residential lots. Installation on unincorporated land is generally unrestricted; cities and HO...
polk-county-ia
Polk County has no ordinance banning native or prairie landscaping, and the county promotes native roadside vegetation. The one legal limit: your planting ca...
polk-county-ia
Iowa has no state ban on collecting rainwater, and Polk County sets no rain-barrel ordinance. Residents may capture roof runoff in barrels or cisterns; only ...
polk-county-ia
Polk County sets no lawn-watering schedule. Central Iowa's water is managed by Central Iowa Water Works / Des Moines Water Works, which can impose voluntary ...
polk-county-ia
Iowa Code 317.10 requires every landowner to destroy all noxious weeds on their land as directed by the county board of supervisors. Polk County's Weed Commi...
Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in this county.
See how West Des Moines's trash bin storage rules stack up against other locations.
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.