Kennewick, WA Trash & Recycling: Dumpster Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- UMU, commercial, industrial, multi-family zones
- Enclosure height
- At least 6 feet, sight-obscuring
- Residential buffer
- At least 20 feet away
- Maintenance rule
- No refuse accumulation around enclosure
Summary
Kennewick requires garbage cans, bins, and dumpsters in commercial, industrial, and multi-family zones to sit inside a building or behind a six-foot sight-obscuring enclosure set at least 20 feet from any residential use.
All garbage cans, bins, dumpsters, containers and other garbage receptacles within UMU, C, I, BP, PF, and OS Districts or serving multi-family dwellings must be within a completely enclosed building or screened from view by a sight-obscuring wall or fence at least six feet high and with a gate or door or similar sight-obscuring material to provide access. All enclosures must be at least 20 feet from any residential use. No garbage, trash, waste or other refuse may be allowed to accumulate around or within the enclosure.
(Ord. 5712 Sec. 9, 2017; Ord. 5309 Sec. 14, 2010; Ord. 5180 Sec. 1, 2007)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 19 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
KMC 18.12.280 covers all garbage cans, bins, dumpsters, containers, and other refuse receptacles located within the UMU, Commercial, Industrial, Business Park, Public Facility, and Open Space districts, and any such receptacle serving a multi-family dwelling anywhere in the city. Each receptacle must sit inside a completely enclosed building, or be screened by a sight-obscuring wall or fence at least six feet high with a gate or similar sight-obscuring access point. The enclosure itself must be located at least 20 feet from any residential use, and trash, waste, or refuse cannot be allowed to accumulate around or inside the enclosure.
Violations & Fines
Leaving a dumpster unscreened in a covered district, using an enclosure under six feet, siting it within 20 feet of residential use, or letting refuse pile up outside it violates KMC 18.12.280 and draws code enforcement action.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my dumpster need to be screened in Kennewick?
How far must a dumpster enclosure be from homes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Kennewick
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