On February 7, 2002, the Providence City Council passed an amended garbage ordinance specifically to address garbage and rat problems in the city. The official ordinance title is, "An ordinance relating to garbage, trash, and debris."

The ordinance made some significant changes. One change is that enforcement officials may now enter private property, either for inspection or for rat baiting, without a search warrant. This will allow the City to process rat or garbage complaints more efficiently. Another change defines garbage piles, debris, rats, etc., as "unsanitary conditions" which, on private property, a landlord is responsible for, regardless of who created it. Finally, the ordinance calls for landlords to provide two garbage containers, covered and labelled, for each household unit. This added responsibility, potentially costly for landlords who own many units, attempts to reduce the proliferation of uncontained trash.

The complete ordinance can be viewed at the City Clerk's office, Providence City Hall, 25 Dorrance St.

DPW Violations

The Department of Public Works (DPW) is the city agency responsible for overseeing the garbage ordinance. Litter, rodent and vermin control, and enforcement of environmental codes for matters of sanitation, garbage, and recycling, are all under the jurisdiction of this Department.

A DPW violation occurs when any part of the above ordinance is disobeyed. These violations include: littering (less than 1 cu. yd), rats, illegal dumping, and a dumpster without a permit. The following map is of cumulative DPW violations in Providence, based on the previous ordinance. Notice how the violations are concentrated in the south and central, urban core, areas of the city. The wealthier East Side and the working-class north-west corner are relatively free of violations.

City of Providence: Cumulative garbage, rat, and dumpster code violations in 1999

click to enlarge