Rowlett, TX Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

Rowlett addresses illegal dumping both through local code and Texas state law. Locally, the Code of Ordinances Article III, Sec. 22-123 (cited in the city's Common Code Violations guide alongside IPMC Sec. 308.1) bars 'trash, rubbish, impure or unwholesome matter and/or stagnant water' on property, and bulky trash left at the front of a property as accumulated debris is treated as a violation. Neighborhood Services investigates such complaints and can require cleanup or abate the condition at the owner's cost. For larger or off-site dumping, the controlling authority is Texas Health & Safety Code Sec. 365.012 (the Texas Litter Abatement Act), which makes it an offense to dispose of - or transport for disposal, or receive for disposal - litter or other solid waste at a place that is not an approved solid waste site, including within 300 feet of a public highway or on public or private property. Penalties scale with weight or volume: a Class C misdemeanor if the litter weighs 5 pounds or less or has a volume of 5 gallons or less; a Class B misdemeanor for more than 5 pounds but less than 500 pounds (or more than 5 gallons but less than 100 cubic feet); a Class A misdemeanor for 500 pounds up to under 1,000 pounds (or 100 to under 200 cubic feet), or commercial dumping over 5 but under 200 pounds; and a state jail felony for 1,000 pounds or more or 200 cubic feet or more, or commercial dumping at or above 200 pounds or 200 cubic feet. Residents are directed to use their Republic Services carts, scheduled brush/bulk collection, or the CM Hinton Landfill rather than dumping.