“It’s a great thing to smell in the morning.” He’s standing behind a convenience counter in the French Quarter. And no, he’s not referring to the “normal” street smells that plague Bourbon Street. He’s talking about the area’s daily street cleanings made possible by large commercial trucks with huge tanks of citrusy solution on their backs.

The waste management company in contract with the city, IV Waste, adds lemon to its spray solution. While locals rave about the service, though, New Orleans is considering going back to another vendor by the end of the month.

“This is the best it’s looked in years.”

IV Waste launched in 2016, after owner Sidney Torres IV went back into the trash business. He ran another local trash company, SDT Waste & Disposal Services, for some time previously.

By late summer 2024, it seems the new company had captured heavy swaths (if not all) of New Orleans’ trash routes.

And it’s a fancy-looking outfit. The trucks all look sparkling new, with modern marketing fonts and logos.

But it’s clearly not all about how the fleet looks, based on resident reception. NBC News visited the French Quarter, and every single person interviewed gushed over the results. 

For a few months now, IV Waste has kept the roadways and sidewalks super clean and smelling lemon-y fresh. “It’s better than pee!” a resident remarked, holding an infant.

A lemon-scented French Quarter might not last much longer, though

NBC shared that the city is considering repartnering with a former contractor, but didn’t share why.

After exploring the company’s press page, it seems that over time, city selection committees gave IV Waste high scores compared to competitors.

To get clarification, MotorBiscuit reached out to IV Waste via its “Contact Us” page for comment. We’ll be sure to update once the company responds.