It’s a stinky situation. Jackson’s failed infrastructure and overflows have pumped millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Pearl River for years, and the associated health risks and stench are impacting those who care most about the river.
Wesley McMurrin of Pearl said he enjoys kayaking on the Pearl River near Jackson because it’s convenient, but sewage issues limit his enjoyment. It is to explore the creeks that flow into the rivers, if allowed.
“I kayaked up Purple Creek and it stunk badly,” McMullin said. “I didn’t go back because it smelled so bad.
“The pipes are damaged. No one is taking care of the pipes. I’ve been up every stream and I can smell it. It shows that we have money.” It’s just there, it’s not part of the (infrastructure) structure of the city.”
He avoids the creek that flows through Jackson into the Pearl River, but still paddles on the river.
“Never jump into the water,” McMullin said. “You see people swimming, but they’re the younger generation. Mostly he’s 16 to he’s 20. They don’t watch the news.”
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Jackson releases 50 million gallons of raw sewage
The latest news about the situation came from the City of Jackson’s quarterly report on sewage discharges produced for the Environmental Protection Agency.
According to reports, more than 50 million gallons of raw sewage flowed into waterways in the Jackson area between April and June. About 20 million gallons of raw sewage flowed into Town Creek and into the river.
Reports of sewage flowing into the waterways from Jackson are normal practice. Sewage and the E. coli it carries to the Pearl River have led to recommendations from the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality regarding river water contact from Purple His Creek in Jackson to Swinging His Bridge in Byram.
Advice on contact with water basically states that people should stay away from water and should not eat anything that comes out of it.
It has been in place for four years.
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Raw sewage:The city said millions of gallons of raw sewage flowed into Town Creek over the course of three months.
Pearl river sewage is too risky for kayaking business
For Christopher Lockhart, owner of kayak rentals Capital City Kayak Adventures, health risks forced him to change his business.
“We were putting in a spillway[at Ross Barnett Reservoir]or a campground on Lake Maze at LeFleurs Bluff State Park,” Lockhart said. “It is no longer one of our areas of activity.
“I haven’t been there in about three years or so because of a contact advisory issued by MDEQ.”
Lockhart said he feels customers’ health is at risk.
“I can’t put them there in good conscience. We can’t take a chance on them.”
Lockhart is fortunate that Crystal Lake, located in Rankin County across the river from Jackson, is untouched by sewage and provides a beautiful and safe place for customers to paddle.
Still, I want them to have an opportunity to enjoy and appreciate the river.
“It offered such serene beauty,” Lockhart said.
And it could be even more beautiful.
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Pearl River Health Risks Hinder Cleanup Work
Pearl Riverkeeper is a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the health of the Pearl River. It hosts an event called the Pearl River Clean Sweep. Since 2017, volunteers have removed 140,000 pounds of trash from watersheds in Mississippi and Louisiana.
However, health risks posed by Jackson’s sewage prevent volunteers from collecting trash during events in water contact advisory areas.
“This is the fourth year that the MDEQ has issued a water contact advisory for that 20-mile stretch and its tributaries,” said Abby Bramann, who heads Pearl Riverkeepers. “MDEQ believes water is too polluted for humans and fisheries.
“MDEQ found that 11 streams in Jackson are deficient in aquatic life.
When will the pollution of the Pearl River end?
So when will it end? When can Lockhart share the beauty of rivers with customers? When can Pearl Riverkeeper volunteers improve river conditions in their area? , when will the smell go away?
The answers to these and other questions seem unclear, but in a written statement from Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antal Lumumba to Clarion Leisure, he said the city is trying to improve and that residents are more likely to Said it deserves a good one.
“We continue to address major institutional challenges to water and wastewater systems and are actively seeking resources to address these issues,” Lumumba said. We know it can help address some of the issues, and we are working on a number of projects dedicated to those ends.
“We continue to meet with the EPA weekly to comply with the Consent Order issued to the City in 2012. Improvement.
“We don’t want to be in the system we inherited or where we choose to be, but we understand the frustrations of residents who simply deserve a better system.”
Contact Brian Broom at 601-961-7225 or bbroom@gannett.com. Follow Clarion Ledger Outdoors on Facebook and @BrianBroom twitter.
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