Fountain, CO Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing sections
- Fountain Municipal Code §§ 9.24.080-.120
- Minimum vehicle-dumping fine
- $100.00 per offense
- General littering maximum
- $2,650.00 fine and/or 1 year jail
- Lawful disposal
- Designated site or on-site receptacle only
- Business duty
- Must keep adjacent sidewalks litter-free
Summary
Fountain's litter ordinance, Sections 9.24.080 through 9.24.120 of the Municipal Code, defines littering to include dumping, dropping, or depositing waste, and bans it on any public or private property or waters in the city unless it's disposed of at a designated site or placed in a receptacle. Dumping litter from a vehicle carries a minimum $100.00 fine per offense.
Littering means dumping, dropping, throwing, or depositing any litter or otherwise causing or permitting any litter to escape from a vehicle or otherwise. ... It shall be unlawful for any person to litter on any public or private property in the city or any waters in the city unless:A.Such property is an area designated by the state or any of its agencies or political subdivisions, including the city, for the disposal of such material and such person is authorized by the proper public authority to so use such property; orB.The litter is placed in a receptacle or container used on such property for such purpose. ... Whenever litter is thrown, deposited, dropped or dumped from any motor vehicle, the operator of said vehicle shall be presumed to have caused or permitted such littering. ... Violation of this subsection shall result in a minimum fine of $100.00 for each offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
080 defines 'litter' broadly as any rubbish, waste material, refuse, garbage, trash, debris, or other foreign substance, solid or liquid, and defines 'littering' to specifically include dumping, dropping, throwing, or depositing litter, or causing or permitting litter to escape from a vehicle. 090 then bans littering on any public or private property or waters in the city unless the material goes to a site the state or city has designated for disposal and the person is authorized to use it, or the litter is placed in a receptacle provided for that purpose on the property. 00 for each offense. 120 requires businesses and property owners to keep adjacent sidewalks, parking areas, gutters, and driveways free of litter. 010.
Violations & Fines
Dumping litter from a vehicle used to transport materials carries a minimum $100.00 fine per offense under Section 9.24.110(B). Other littering violations under Sections 9.24.090, 9.24.100, and 9.24.120 fall back to the Code's general penalty at Sections 9.04.080 and 1.12.010: a fine of up to $2,650.00, up to one year in jail, or both, with each day of a continuing violation, such as an unmaintained receptacle, charged as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as illegal dumping in Fountain?
Who gets cited if litter is dumped from a moving vehicle in Fountain?
Do Fountain businesses have to clean up litter outside their doors?
What's the penalty for ordinary littering in Fountain if it's not from a vehicle load?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Fountain
Compare Fountain to another location·View the Colorado trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Illegal Dumping in Nearby Cities
How other cities in El Paso County handle illegal dumping.