The threat of flooding may be in the rear-view mirror for much of Summit County, but the sandbags are lingering in plain sight - in front yards, along creek banks and in the streets.
According to Summit County Emergency Manager Kathryn McMullin, as of June 12, more than 160,000 sandbags were distributed by Summit County Public Works. She said it was a huge effort between the state and county to make sure residents got the sandbags they needed.
Even though the threat of flooding isn’t over for everyone, Summit County Health Department Director Phil Bondurant said once the sandbags are no longer needed, proper steps should be taken to get rid of them.
“What the county is most concerned about is what you do with those sandbags because once we fill a sandbag and assume that sandbag on our property, it's ours,” Bondurant said. “We don't want to see them put in the trash cans because that becomes a safety issue for disposing of them for the waste disposal folks. And so really, it's about finding an appropriate method to dispose of the sandbag on your property.”
Bondurant said bags without sand can be recycled and used again if they’re not left in the sun, which quickly degrades the material. He said empty sandbags can also be placed in trash cans if they’re not contaminated.
“Really where the risk comes is those that came into contact with floodwaters that were contaminated with fuels or sewage or those types of things,” he said.
Bondurant also suggested reusing the sand to level out yards and in gravel driveways. The general guidance is not to put sand in playgrounds or sandboxes.
If someone is physically unable to dispose of their sandbags, they can request help from the Sandbag Samaritan volunteer list by emailing pio@summitcounty.org.
Find more information on proper sandbag disposal here.
