(Patty Wetli / WTTW News)

We’re about to go from oohing and aahing over gorgeous fall color to ughing over all those leaves on the ground that we have to rake.

As tempting as it is to simply blow the debris to the curb, the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation asks that residents keep leaves out of the streets, where they can lead to clogged sewer drains.

Leaves don’t belong in garbage bins either, per a 1990 state law that bans the landfilling of yard waste.

Instead, people should collect and bag their leaves, and then call 311 or login to the city services portal to request a yard waste pickup, said Cristina Villarreal, department spokeswoman.

Contact Patty Wetli: @pattywetli | (773) 509-5623 |  [email protected]