COEUR d’ALENE — Refrigerators, couches and hazardous household chemicals are just a few of the items creating a mess at rural waste collection sites throughout Kootenai County.

County officials are asking residents to keep watch for illegal dumping.

"A lot of people are not even placing the material in the bins,” said Solid Waste Director JP Phillips. “They’re throwing them on the ground.”

The solid waste system is solely for the use of citizens with property in Kootenai County who have paid the annual solid waste fee.

The county’s 13 rural collection sites are for household waste only. Large items, such as furniture, tires and wood, must go to either the Ramsey Transfer Station or the Prairie Transfer Station.

No commercial waste is accepted at these sites — but that doesn’t stop landscapers from filling dumpsters with brush and other debris, Phillips said, or contractors from dumping Sheetrock and other materials.

The issue is compounded because some rural sites are unstaffed.

“Other sites are remote enough that contractors know they can get away with it,” Phillips said.

Kootenai County residents who have paid the annual solid waste fee can dispose of up to 2,000 pounds of waste at transfer stations at no additional cost.

“That’s up to 2,000 pounds per trip, as many trips as they want per year,” Phillips said. “There’s no reason for residents to be dumping trash on the ground.”

Though commercial waste and certain other types of garbage, such as roofing, incur an additional fee, Phillips noted that most waste can be disposed of for free.

A complete list of disposal fees can be found at www.kcgov.us.

Spokane County residents are responsible for much of the illegal dumping, Phillips said, as are residents from neighboring Idaho counties.

He noted that folks visiting from far outside the area are unlikely to intentionally abuse the facilities.

“People who are in Kootenai County for recreation are welcome to use our sites,” he said.

To combat the issue, the county has installed streetlights at three rural collection sites, with plans to add security cameras in the future.

The county will also place additional signage at collection sites to remind residents of the rules.

Residents who see improper disposal at collection sites should note the license plate numbers of the people involved and contact the Solid Waste Department.

“We will likely be in contact with the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office if we get enough complaints,” Phillips said.

In addition to tickets, continued illegal dumping could result in a reduced number of sites.

“We need an effort by the community to keep those sites clean and follow the rules,” Phillips said. “It would be nice if everybody took a little pride in their dumpster site.”