JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Piles of garbage collecting in the driveways of Jackson neighbors could be causing harmful effects on the environment.

President of Rebel High Velocity Sewer Services said having garbage sitting near the street is the worst-case scenario because it could clog the sewage drains.

Mississippi Department of Environemtal Quality (MDEQ) Executive Director Chris Wells said there are water contact advisories still in place in and around the City of Jackson.

“There are some longstanding issues with respect to the city’s sewer collection system that they are under a consent decree to correct those issues. From time to time, there are overflows, leaking sewer pipes and that sort of thing. That results in bacteria being high in the streams. We issue or contact boundaries when those bacterial levels reach a certain threshold,” said Wells.

Find a map of which streams have water contact advisories on MDEQ’s website.