When in doubt, THROW IT OUT. Beginning on July 26th, recycle cans in Merchantville will not be picked up if items such as, plastic bags, pizza boxes and plastics other than #1 and #2 are mixed in the can. Cans will be tagged and residents will receive a flyer on the can with the guidelines for items that can be recycled. Camden County wants to make single stream recycling easy and will only accept rinsed plastic or glass bottles, jars and jugs, rinsed aluminum and steel cans, clean paper, and clean cardboard.  If you are unsure if a piece is recyclable, just throw it out. For more information regarding the guidelines visit Camdencounty.com/recycling.

On Monday, July 8th, Mayor and Council heard from residents of Glenwood Avenue about the continuing issue of street flooding. Reports of flooding on the 200 block of Glenwood Avenue in Merchantville can be found in newspapers as far back as 1938. In 1979, flooding along Glenwood and Holly Avenues was sited as issue and in 1989 Borough Engineers, Remington and Vernick, advised the municipality to increase the size of storm sewer pipes from 18" to 24"and replace the system of drainage pipes along the railroad embankment. In 1991 the Borough appropriated $25,000 in funds to enlarge the storm drains, then in 1992 an additional $22,800 to increase drain capacity caused by heavy storms. In 1995, Mayor Patrick Brennan announced an $85,00 contract with VPS, Inc. to solve years of flooding by relocating two storm pipes, installed in 1945 along the 200 block of Glenwood, to the Holly Road intersection; increasing the storm pipe size from 18" to 27"; and, creating more inlets to catch rainwater. Today, Mayor Ted Brennan sent a letter to the residents of Glenwood Avenue detailing actions taken to date, outlining plans to alleviate future issues, and announcing a follow up meeting in that neighborhood on August 6th.

Borough Council will vote on replacing a pilot program ordinance for backyard chicken coops with a new ordinance on Monday, 7/8. The ordinance will increase the number of chickens allowed on each permit from four to eight, however roosters will not be permitted. Anyone who is currently licensed to have backyard chickens will keep that license. New licensees will be considered on an individual basis by the Chicken Advisory Board. A total of 25 permits will be allowed and coops must be 10 feet from the property line and no more than 6' high. 

The Borough of Merchantville invites you to join the members of the Merchantville Police Department and the members of the Merchantville Fire Department for our annual National Night Out celebration. This years National Night Out will take place on August 6th from 6:00 - 8:00 p.m. at the Merchantville Community Center, 212 Somerset Street. National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. Furthermore, it provides a great opportunity to bring policemen, firemen and neighbors together under positive circumstances.

The MPWC has some tips for Smart Irrigation Month. Remember - using your irrigation system or gardening does increase water usage in the summer months. To help save water on your bill, we are sharing some water conservation tips when watering your lawn. Make sure the direction of your sprinkler covers the lawn and does not waste or spill out of your lawn. Plant shade trees to reduce overall temperatures and reduce water evaporation from soil. Also, it is helpful to keep a true timer when you water so it’s consistent and conservative.

If your water bill is unusually high, but has not be estimated, there are a few things you can do to investigate the situation.  First, check for leaks. Small leaks can add up quickly. Just a 1/8-inch sized leak consumes more than 3,500 gallons per day. While most leaks are easy to find, others may be more difficult and can often be left undetected. Start by checking your toilets. Toilets can lose hundreds of gallons of water when leaking. The MPWC can provide you with special tablets for detecting toilet leaks free of charge. You can also put a few drops of food coloring in your toilet tank and wait a few minutes. If the color shows up in the bowl, you have a leak that needs to be repaired. Check indoor and outdoor faucets and replace worn gaskets and washers. Look for drip stains beneath and behind your dishwasher and washing machines. Check leaks in your sprinkler system, including damaged sprinkler heads.