---
title: "Ottawa auditor finds garbage collectors skipped limit rules in most observed cases"
description: "Ottawa's auditor general found contractors took correct action on the three-item limit in only 2 of 21 test collections, and the city fined the contractor just $282 over 17 months."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/on/ottawa-2026/news/ottawa-auditor-general-garbage-collection-audit-november-2026"
last_updated: "2026-11-02T20:47:34.770Z"
---

Ottawa's auditor general found the city's garbage contractor took correct action on the three-item limit in only 2 of 21 observed test collections. The city levied financial penalties against the contractor just once in more than 17 months of service, for $282.

The Audit of Curbside Garbage Collection, issued by Auditor General Nathalie Gougeon in September 2026, is scheduled to be tabled at City Council on November 3. It covered the period from January 1, 2025 to May 31, 2026.

## What the auditor found

The three-item limit took effect on September 30, 2024. Under the rule, collectors are supposed to tag any address that puts out more than three items and leave the extra bags behind. The auditor tested how well this was working and found the contractor did not take appropriate action in 19 of 21 observed cases.

Over the 17-month audit period, 1,962 addresses were tagged for exceeding the three-item limit. A broader total of 9,483 addresses were tagged more than five times for any violation during the same period.

Despite these numbers, the city issued liquidated damages (the financial penalties written into the contract) only once, for $282, between January 1, 2025 and the close of the audit. The auditor found the city had no clear framework for deciding when those penalties should apply.

## The cost of the service

About 315,000 Ottawa addresses receive bi-weekly curbside garbage collection. The city spent $72.9 million on the service in 2025, below the budget of $80.6 million. The 2026 budget is $80.1 million.

The amount of garbage collected has been declining. Landfill tonnage from curbside collection dropped from 126,640 tonnes in 2023, to 120,779 tonnes in 2024, to 102,551 tonnes in 2025.

## Six recommendations

The auditor issued 6 recommendations, all rated Moderate priority. Management agreed to all of them. The deadlines run from Q1 2027 to Q4 2027:

- Clearer written guidance for collectors on how to apply the three-item limit (Q2 2027)
- Training for contractor staff (Q3 2027)
- Stronger monitoring of contractor performance against contract requirements (Q4 2027)
- Technology improvements, such as vehicle cameras, to document collection decisions (Q1 2027)
- A formal framework setting out when the city should apply financial penalties (Q4 2027)
- Improved budget planning to identify and track the factors that drive costs (Q4 2027)

## What residents can do

The full audit report is available through the Office of the Auditor General's website. City Council meets November 3 to receive the report. Residents who want to follow the discussion can find the agenda at the City of Ottawa's meetings site at [https://pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com/](https://pub-ottawa.escribemeetings.com/).

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