Raw sewage invades streets, homes inside Ward 3 in Jackson

Published: Dec. 2, 2022 at 6:25 PM CST

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Ward 3 in Jackson has seen many raw sewage leaks this year, but Friday morning, it might have seen its worst.

Around 2 a.m. Friday morning, residents on Pocahontas Avenue and Plymouth Heights Boulevard reported a manhole that was gushing raw waste and flowing down the street and into residents’ homes.

“It rolls right in the back of our yard all down our property,” Ward 3 resident Charles Jenkins said. “The foundation of our property, Mr. Stokes said he wants to tackle an acre of this area. I’ve been trying to get him by here and take a look at what’s going on here and he refuses to come.”

While gutters turned into rivers of brown waste, residents began calling the Jackson Public Works Department in hopes to have the issue fixed.

Samuel Jasper described his frustrations with how the situation has been handled.

“It’s raw sewage and it smells very bad,” Jasper said. “So, I wish they would come out here and do something about it because they call Jackson sewage anyway, but you see why. This is the reason why because raw sewage is literally running down the streets.”

Jenkins says there’s no reason for the city to let these conditions continue.

“My grandkids can’t come outside. I mean, you can see the flooding they can’t do anything,” Jenkins said. “It’s gonna take about a week for this to dry. I mean come on man. What you are guys gonna do in this city? Then, you want us to pay our property taxes. How are we going to maintain our property if you guys don’t maintain what you’re doing?”

WLBT has contacted the Public Works Department for information but has not received a response.

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