Cathedral City, CA Trash & Recycling: Collection Schedule (2026)

Section 6.04.200 of the Cathedral City Municipal Code makes trash service mandatory in Cathedral City, California. The person in charge of a premises in the city shall make arrangements with a solid waste franchisee for solid waste handling services and keep the arrangement in good standing. The stated purpose is to protect public health, safety and well-being and to prevent the spread of vectors. A violation is a misdemeanor, punishable as provided in Article 7 of Chapter 6.04.

The schedule floor is in § 6.04.230: all solid waste accumulating on a premises must be disposed of as frequently as required to avoid an accumulation in violation of the chapter, and in no case less frequently than one time per week. Less than weekly disposal is allowed during any period the premises is temporarily unoccupied and waste is not accumulating, such as out-of-town travel. The day and manner of regular pickup are set between the franchisee and each account holder under § 6.04.320(A), subject to the franchise. Only a solid waste franchisee, a landscaper hauling green waste, or a licensed contractor working within the scope of that license can collect or remove solid waste from any premises under § 6.04.640.

Billing follows the property. Under § 6.04.330, the owner and the account holder are jointly and severally liable for services, fees, charges and penalties. For a single-family or multi-family account unpaid one hundred twenty days after billing, the franchisee sends a notice, and if payment is not received within fifteen days of the notice, a ten percent penalty and one and one-half percent monthly interest begin to accrue. The franchisee reports delinquencies in May of each year with a request that the city place them on the tax roll, which creates a lien collected with property taxes. Under § 6.04.650, having no arrangement with a franchisee, or having service terminated for nonpayment, is a public nuisance.