SAN ANTONIO \u2013 CPS Energy restored power to San Antonians, but you didn\u2019t need electricity to see the damage the Aug. 28 storm caused. Trees fell on power lines, rooftops and cars, creating a lot of cleanup for neighbors to handle.<\/p>\n
Josephine Valencia, director of the city\u2019s Solid Waste Management Department, said the department\u2019s brush collection trucks roved around impacted neighborhoods last week to help with cleanup.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur brush collection efforts have been concentrated on the path that the storm took, which was roughly from the East corridor of the city down to the Southwest,\u201d Valencia said. \u201cSo far we have picked up almost 6 million pounds of debris.\u201d<\/p>\n
She said trucks will be sweeping through those same neighborhoods again this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognize there\u2019s still a lot of stuff out there,\u201d Valencia said. \u201dWe are trying to give residents some time to bring the stuff that\u2019s behind their house to the curb.\u201d<\/p>\n
Usually, the city limits how much brush it will pick up, both by amount and by cubic yard. But because of the amount of storm damage, the limit is being waived.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo if your entire tree falls down, you know, you can get it; if you can get it to the curb, we\u2019ll collect it. We are asking that you still try to cut it up as much as possible,\u201d Valencia said.<\/p>\n
The collected brush is then taken to the Bitters Brush Recycling Center located at 1800 Wurzbach Parkway, where it is turned into two types of mulch.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe coarse wood chips are available for free, and there are some that we grind again to smaller landscape quality; that one is available for sale,\u201d Valencia said.<\/p>\n
She pointed out that neighbors who still have tree brush and debris on their properties should drag it to the street curb as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
If it remains on or at their properties by next Monday, Sept. 14, Valencia said, call 311.<\/p>\n
In addition, if the cleanup process has resulted in a pile of bulky trash that does not consist of trees and brush, residents can drop it off at one of the city\u2019s four bulky waste collection centers for free.<\/p>\n
\u201c(This is) available actually year-round for free to residents,\u201d Valencia said. \u201dTo use the actual bulky waste sites, we do ask that you bring a copy of your CPS (Energy) bill that shows you\u2019re paying the environmental fee,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
Valencia also said service is available to homeowners, including those who may live in gated communities, as well as house and apartment renters.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe environmental fee (is something) that every resident in San Antonio pays … and this is what funds the bulky waste collection centers,\u201d Valencia added.<\/p>\n
Valencia said those who use the CPS Energy online payment method need to print page two, so she advises bringing the entire payment statement with you.<\/p>\n