The Public Works Department is responsible for the maintenance of the parks and over 8,000 shade trees throughout the Village. Included in the number of trees are all park trees, those around Village buildings and those that stand between the sidewalks of an individual's property and the curb. Specific responsibilities pertaining to parks and shade tree maintenance include: lawn maintenance; trash collection; sweeping downtown; athletic field maintenance; ice control & snow removal; leaf collection; composting facility; planting of trees; removing of trees and stumps; pruning trees; playground & park maintenance; beautification; equipment/building maintenance; recycling/maintenance of recycling clusters; landscaping; Duck Pond weed control; set up for special events.

Trees offer communities tremendous benefits, but when they become hazardous there can be serious consequences. If you have identified a tree along a Township roadway, on municipal property, or at a private residence or a business that could fall on someone or something of value, you should act immediately. Keep in mind that a tree is only considered “hazardous” if the broken limbs, severed roots, decay, or other condition presents a danger to a person, place, or thing given the tree were to fall.

Municipal Trees 

Municipal trees are those located on municipal property such as public parks and building grounds and in the “tree belt” area along Township roadways. “Tree belt” footage varies from street to street – please call the Public Works Department for the exact footage. If you suspect that a tree on municipal property or in the tree belt area may be hazardous, call the South Orange Public Works Department at 973-378-7741.

Trees on Private Property

If you’ve identified a tree on private property, either business or residential, that may be a hazard to your home, property, or person contact the South Orange Engineering Department in Village Hall at 973-378-7715, Ext. #3990, for assistance on how to approach finding a solution to the problem. 

Composting:

Humus & Shredded Wood 

Residents who are in need of humus (decomposed leaves) or shredded wood (double hammer-milled, medium-textured, hardwood mulch)  for their gardens may pick up these materials in small quantities at the DPW Yard (300 Walton Ave.) throughout the year.  In Spring residents can also schedule a delivery for a larger quantity of product, 2-5 cubic yards.
The delivery fee is $50.

Limit to one product per household monthly, with a maximum order of 5 cubic yards of material.

2022 Delivery Dates
April 26th
May 31st
June 28th
July 19th