Preparing for a season change: Get your leaves raked and ready for pick-up

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- If you haven't raked your leaves to the curb, you might want to make plans Saturday, November 15th -- that's the Department of Public Works deadline.

Big or small leaf piles, that's what the DPW crews will be clearing form the streets on Saturday before they transition for the snowfall.

The leaf clean-up will take place on the streets of Milwaukee until Wednesday the 26th.

"We've already collected over 11 tons of leaves. We generally collect about 15,000 for the season," said Mary Bengsh, DPW Sanitation Area Manager.

Saturday, November 15th, is Milwaukee's DPW's deadline for you to get your leaves to the curb for pick-up. Crews will be out but with measurable snow expected on Saturday night, they may be pulling double duty.

Bengsh says they'll be doing this from 6 a.m. until 3 p.m.

"We'll get ready, getting some of those operators in salt trucks, in addition to calling others in," said Bengsh.

The forecast only calls for about an inch of snow in Milwaukee from Saturday evening into Sunday -- but the salting is essential.

"It is the first snowfall of the year and as we know the first one is always the most challenging one because we don't have any salt on the ground," said Bengsh.

Come Monday, crews will be back to sucking up those leaves.

"It does take us about two weeks to get around the entire city," said Bengsh.

Crews expect to finish leaf collection by Thanksgiving. So your part is to get the leaves to the curb tomorrow, Saturday, November 15th. And not in the garbage cart -- that's a no-no. You are also asked to keep the piles away from storm drains and sewer grates.