Haverhill, MA Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)
Key Facts
- Prohibited act
- dumping paper, dirt, ashes, filth, rubbish
- Fire hydrant buffer
- no dumping within 5 feet
- Lawful exception
- designated dump or written BOH permission
- First-offense fine
- up to $5,500
- Subsequent-offense fine
- up to $15,000
- Alternate enforcement
- noncriminal citation, MGL c.270 §16A
- Enforcing agencies
- Board of Health, Police Department
Summary
In the City of Haverhill, it is illegal to place or deposit paper, house dirt, ashes, filth or any refuse or rubbish on a public street or place, a private way or lot, or within five feet of a fire hydrant, unless the spot is a designated public dump or the Board of Health has given written permission under City Code Section 11-39. A first offense draws a fine of up to $5,500, and each later offense up to $15,000.
No person, by himself, his servants or agents shall place or deposit or cause to be placed or deposited any paper, house dirt, ashes, filth or any kind of refuse or rubbish in or on any public street or place or in or on any private way, lot or other place or within five feet of a fire hydrant, excepting such places as have been set aside and designated as a public dump, unless such person shall have first obtained permission therefor from the Board of Health. ... Any person who violates this section may be prosecuted under the provisions of MGL c. 270, § 16, and punished by a fine of not more than $5,500 for the first offense and not more than $15,000 for each subsequent offense and may be ordered to remove said papers, house dirt, ashes, filth or any kind of refuse or rubbish at his own expense. This section may also be enforced by the provisions of MGL c. 270, § 16A, in a noncriminal proceeding.
Full Breakdown
Section 11-39 sits in Chapter 11, Article VII, the Board of Health's own chapter, and reaches "any person, by himself, his servants or agents," so a property owner can be held liable for dumping done on his behalf. The only lawful alternatives are places the Board of Health has set aside and designated as a public dump, or a location for which the Board has first granted written permission; dumping within five feet of a fire hydrant is barred outright, with no permission exception mentioned for that distance.
A violator may be prosecuted under Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 270, Section 16, facing a fine of not more than $5,500 for a first offense and not more than $15,000 for each subsequent offense, and can also be ordered to remove the dumped material at his own expense. The City may instead pursue a noncriminal citation under MGL Chapter 270, Section 16A. Section 11-39 was amended in 1996 by Doc. 39 and again in 2007 by Doc. 76, after an earlier 1988 penalty provision was repealed and replaced in 1989.
The Board of Health also runs the City's contracted garbage removal and supervises the dump or dumps under Section 11-38, and the Police Department must report Section 11-39 violations it observes to the Board of Health under Section 11-40 so they can be enforced.
Violations & Fines
Dumping paper, house dirt, ashes, filth or rubbish on a public street, private way, lot or within five feet of a fire hydrant without Board of Health authorization violates Section 11-39B and is prosecutable under MGL Chapter 270, Section 16, carrying a fine up to $5,500 for a first offense and up to $15,000 for each later offense, plus an order to remove the material at the violator's own cost; the City may instead issue a noncriminal citation under MGL Chapter 270, Section 16A.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I legally dump rubbish or debris in Haverhill?
What is the penalty for illegal dumping in Haverhill?
Who enforces Haverhill's dumping ban?
Can I be fined for dumping trash near a fire hydrant?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Haverhill
Compare Haverhill to another location·View the Massachusetts trash & recycling overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.