Frequently Asked Questions
| Administrative Office 732 City Hall 124 W. Michigan Ave Lansing, MI 48933 |
Operations and Maintenance 601 E. South Street Lansing, MI 48910 |
Wastewater Treatment Plant 1625 Sunset Avenue Lansing, MI 48917 |
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Quick Reference Phone Numbers | |
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24/7 Emergency Number Administrative Offices Permits Engineer Sewer Back-up/odor |
Waste Reduction Services CSO Hotline Bulk Stickers Sidewalk Issues |
- I need a building permit. Who do I call?
- How do I obtain an address for a vacant lot I just purchased?
- I want to display a banner on a skywalk or over a street. Do I need a permit?
- I heard that bulk trash stickers are free to low income individuals. How do I know if I am low income? How do I obtain this sticker?
- My neighbors have a lot of trash all over his yard and it makes the neighborhood look unsightly. What can you do about this?
Streets / Sidewalks - The sidewalk in front of my house is uneven. Will the City come fix it?
- How do I know if the sidewalk in front of my house is scheduled for eventual replacement by the City?
- I would like to repair my sidewalk. Do I need a permit?
- My neighbors haven't shoveled their sidewalk yet. Can you make them do it?
- The snow hasn't been removed from the Downtown sidewalks. Who do I contact?
- My street isn't plowed yet!
- There is a dead animal in middle of the road. Who do I call about this?
- There is a fallen tree in the road or sidewalk. Who do I call?
- There is a pothole in the road. Will the City fix that?
Yard Waste - My neighbor is blowing/raking the leaves from his yard into the road! What can you do about this?
- Speaking of leaves, does the City do any collection of yard waste?
- Can I put leaves in plastic bags?
- Can I have a backyard compost pile in the City of Lansing?
- How can I learn more about composting?
- Where can I get an affordable compost bin?
Trash Pickup - I received a notice that says that I was violating the right of way ordinance. What does it mean?
- Does the City of Lansing provide residential trash service?
- When is my pickup day?
- How do I start new service?
- I forgot to pay my trash bill and the City took my Blue Billy trash cart. How do I restart service?
- What happens if my trash is missed?
Recycling - Where can I recyclephone books?
- Where can I recycle Styrofoam?
- Where can I take building materials?
- How do I get a recycling bin?
- What can I put in my recycling bin?
- Why can't I recycle green glass?
- How do I prepare my recycling bin?
- What if I have excess materials that won't fit in the bin?
- Can I take my magazines and junk mail somewhere to recycle?
- Where can I take my tin, plastic and newspaper and other materials?
- Why doesn't the recycle driver pick up my cardboard when I put it in my bin?
- Where can I take my plastic bags that I get from grocery stores?
- Where can I take my old computers?
- I am moving. What do I do with my recycling bin?
- I change the oil in my personal vehicles. Where can I take my used oil for recycling?
- For other general recycling questions…
Sewage / Sewer Drains - I have a general question about my sewer. Who do I ask?
- There are sewer rats in my front yard! What do I do?
- What are the rates for connecting to the City of Lansing sewer system?
- I have a business and use water in production. I discharge this water to the sanitary sewer. Do I need a discharge permit forthis?
- I smell a sewage odor outside my home. My neighbors smell it too. I haven't noticed this before. Is this normal?
- I noticed a sharp increase in my sewer bill this month over previous months with similar water usage. 1) Why is this so much? 2) What is the rate? 3) Why wasn't I notified?
- There is water/sewage flowing out the top of a manhole cover in the street. It's flowing over the street to the curb and into another drain. It smells bad.
- I noticed a discharge of water from a home to the curb. This water was clear and flowed to the curb drain. 1) Is this an acceptable discharge and discharge location? 2) Shouldn't this go directly to the sewer?
- I have a separate meter for watering my lawn and garden. 1) Why am I being charged sewer I&I for this water? I thought this was going to be a reduced charge because it doesn't discharge to the sewer. 2) What is I&I?
- I live near the Wastewater Plant. Lately I have noticed a foul odor coming from the plant. Isn't there something that can be done to control the odors from the plant? I shouldn't have to keep my windows closed and stay inside all day. I don't have air conditioning and my health is not good. I need a good flow of fresh air through my home. This odor is making me sick. What can be done?
- Can I dump my Recreation Vehicle (RV) sanitary waste at the Wastewater Treatment Plant?
- What is all the noise coming from the Wastewater Treatment Plant?
Combined Sewer Overflow Project - What is this Combined Sewer Overflow project that I've been hearing about? Will my street be affected?
- The construction workers with the Combined Sewer Overflow Project dug up my front yard and I don't think they put down enough top soil afterwards. What are you going to do about this?
- I have a complaint regarding the Combined Sewer Overflow Program. Who should I contact?
- I have a drive approach (the area in the driveway between the sidewalk and the end of the driveway to the road) that needs repair. Who do I contact?
- My street is torn up due to construction, and I am unable to access my driveway; therefore, I parked on the street overnight and received a parking ticket! Who do I call to get this fixed?
- I need a road cut permit for sewer work. Who do I contact?
- I'm having trouble with my sewer. There is 1) a sewer back-up; 2) an odor; 3) water or sewage in the basement; or 4) basically something strange going on. What am I going to do?
- The catch basin (also known as "sewer drain" or "that thing on the curb") is plugged with something and the street is flooding. What should I do?
- There's a sink hole at the end of my driveway. Is that a City issue?
General
